Nebraska disaster survivors get temporary Medicaid work-rule relief in 13 counties
Nebraska Medicaid expansion applicants and members in 13 counties affected by 2026 wildfires or severe weather may qualify for temporary relief from Medicaid work requirements, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
DHHS said Aug. 25 that it will automatically apply the temporary disaster hardship to eligible people, send notices and reprocess certain applications and renewals previously denied for work-requirement noncompliance. The relief is temporary and does not remove other Medicaid eligibility rules.
Who may qualify
The relief is limited to people who are eligible for Nebraska’s Medicaid expansion group and who lived in a covered county during the relevant disaster-declaration month. Living in one of the 13 counties alone does not guarantee eligibility.
Nebraska’s Medicaid work requirements apply to people applying for or receiving coverage through Medicaid expansion unless they qualify for an exemption or temporary hardship. DHHS says the requirements began May 1, 2026. The agency’s guidance identifies the expansion group generally as adults ages 19 through 64 who are not pregnant, do not have a disability, are not enrolled in Medicare, meet income limits and satisfy applicable citizenship or immigration rules.
The wildfire counties are Arthur, Garden, Grant, Lincoln and Morrill. The severe-weather counties are Buffalo, Fillmore, Gage, Howard, Jefferson, Nemaha, Thayer and Thurston.
Wildfire relief covers March and April
For the five wildfire counties, the temporary hardship is effective for March and April 2026.
For applicants, DHHS says it is reprocessing eligible Medicaid expansion applications filed in May 2026 when the applicant lived in a covered county during April 2026 and was denied because of work-requirement noncompliance.
For existing members, the renewal window depends on the month in which they lived in a covered county:
- Members who lived in a covered county during March 2026 may qualify for the hardship for renewals from July 2026 through February 2027.
- Members who lived in a covered county during April 2026 may qualify for the hardship for renewals from July 2026 through March 2027.
DHHS says it is reprocessing qualifying renewals that were denied for work-requirement noncompliance.
Severe-weather relief covers May
For the eight counties affected by May 2026 severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding, the temporary hardship is effective for May 2026.
For applicants, DHHS says it is reprocessing eligible Medicaid expansion applications filed in June 2026 when the applicant lived in one of the covered counties during May 2026 and was denied because of work-requirement noncompliance.
For existing members who lived in a covered county during May, the hardship applies to renewals scheduled from July 2026 through April 2027. DHHS says qualifying renewals previously denied for work-rule noncompliance will be reprocessed.
What residents need to do
People who qualify because they lived in a county under a federal disaster declaration generally do not need to file a separate hardship request. DHHS says it will check whether the temporary hardship applies and notify affected Medicaid expansion applicants and members.
Residents should continue to monitor mail, email and text messages from DHHS. The agency may request information about income, residence or other eligibility factors. Under DHHS guidance, requested information generally must be submitted within 30 days of the notice or a person may be denied coverage or lose coverage.
Residents can provide requested information through the iServe portal, by mail, by phone or at a local DHHS office. They should not assume the disaster hardship overrides income limits, citizenship or immigration rules, renewal requirements or other eligibility standards.
Quick reference
| Disaster | Counties | Qualifying residence | Application reprocessing | Renewal window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfires | Arthur, Garden, Grant, Lincoln, Morrill | March or April 2026 | May 2026 applications tied to April residence | March residents: July 2026-February 2027; April residents: July 2026-March 2027 |
| Severe weather | Buffalo, Fillmore, Gage, Howard, Jefferson, Nemaha, Thayer, Thurston | May 2026 | June 2026 applications tied to May residence | July 2026-April 2027 |
DHHS’s notice establishes automatic hardship processing and reprocessing, but it does not say how quickly each person’s account will be updated or whether every affected case has been completed. Residents who believe they qualify should watch for a DHHS notice and continue responding to any request for eligibility information.
Sources
- Nebraska Medicaid work requirements guidance
- Nebraska Public Media report on disaster-related Medicaid relief
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