State says Bronx residents can skip the new Medicaid work rule

Bronx residents are in line for a pass on new federal Medicaid work rules, according to Gothamist, which reported Thursday that the state health department had confirmed the borough qualifies for a hardship exemption because unemployment there is high.

Gothamist said state health officials told a meeting of hospital leaders this week that the Bronx fits a federal exemption for people who live in places with high unemployment. Politico had the briefing first, Gothamist noted. Without the exemption, the paper said, many Bronx residents would have to show they are working, in school or otherwise meeting the new rules to keep coverage.

That Bronx-specific confirmation is Gothamist's account of what the health department told reporters and hospital leaders. It is not spelled out on the public explainer NY State of Health has posted for enrollees.

What the state site says

The state's page says that starting Jan. 1, 2027, some adults ages 19 to 64 will have to show they are working, in school, in job training or volunteering when they apply or renew. It also lists temporary exceptions. One of them is living in an area with very high unemployment. For that exception, the page says, New York will tell people if it applies to them. It does not name the Bronx.

Gothamist, citing state data, reported that about 60 percent of the Bronx's 1.4 million residents are covered by Medicaid, compared with about 40 percent of New Yorkers citywide. The story said the rules take effect in January. The state page puts the start date at Jan. 1, 2027. Readers should treat the borough-wide exemption as the health department's position as reported by Gothamist, and watch for the notice the state says it will send.