<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2tW5uU_1EQ80bST00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2tW5uU_1EQ80bST00" width="1880" height="1253" ></figure><p><i>Letters are expected before enforcement begins in 2027. Here are the practical steps BadgerCare members can take now.</i></p><p>Wisconsin’s new Medicaid work requirement does not start for current members until annual renewals beginning in March 2027. But state health officials said in July that some members would receive notices before then if state records show they may need to meet the rule.</p><p>“In August, we will notify current Medicaid members if our records show they may need to meet the Medicaid work requirement next year,” Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Kirsten Johnson said during a July 30 media call. “This gives members time to understand if the work requirement applies to them and how to meet it to ensure they maintain their healthcare coverage.”</p><h2>What members can do now</h2><ul><li>Make sure your mailing address, phone number and email are current in ACCESS or MyACCESS.</li><li>Opt into DHS emails and texts if you can.</li><li>Watch for a DHS letter if you may be subject to the work requirement.</li><li>Keep pay stubs, school records, volunteer records or other proof that may show you meet the requirement.</li><li>If you think you qualify for an exemption, watch for DHS guidance on what proof will be required.</li><li>If you have seasonal, gig, self-employed or irregular work, save documents that show hours or income.</li></ul><p>Johnson said updating contact information is the most important step right now.</p><p>“The most important thing members can do right now is to make sure their contact information is up to date using the Access website or My Access smartphone app, and opt into all DHS emails and texts so we can reach them with important messages,” Johnson said.</p><p>Racine County Human Services also said members can complete renewals in several ways.</p><p>“Letters will be sent out to all members who are affected by the upcoming changes,” Kristin Latus, deputy director of Racine County Human Services and administrator of Supportive Services, wrote in a July 22 response to Racine County Eye. “Members will be notified as well if they have an administrative renewal. Members can complete the renewal by phone, paper, or via the web application Access also.”</p><h2>What the rule requires</h2><p>Members subject to the rule must complete at least 80 hours a month of qualifying work, school, job training or volunteering, or have at least $580 in monthly income, unless they qualify for an exemption.</p><p>The rule does not apply to everyone on Medicaid. People may be exempt for reasons including pregnancy, disability, Medicare enrollment, meeting Wisconsin Works work requirements, having a child in the household under the applicable age threshold or qualifying for a short-term hardship exemption.</p><h2>Why paperwork matters</h2><p>DHS says Wisconsin will use data sources whenever possible to identify whether members already meet the work requirement or qualify for an exemption.</p><p>But if DHS does not have enough information, members may need to report or submit information for review by an eligibility worker.</p><p>That means some people may be eligible to keep coverage but still need to prove it before their renewal deadline.</p><h2>More Medicaid coverage</h2><ul><li>As Wisconsin’s Medicaid work rule nears, can Racine County process the proof? — the main story on Racine County’s workload, call-center capacity and proof-processing questions.</li><li>Why FoodShare funding and Medicaid work rules are colliding — why new FoodShare quality-control funding is not the same as dedicated Medicaid work-rule funding.</li><li>Medical frailty, homelessness and exemptions under the Medicaid work rule — unresolved exemption questions and what members may need to document.</li><li>How we know: Medicaid work-rule reporting notes — source notes, data points and unanswered questions behind this reporting.</li><li>Racine County Medicaid work requirement: 7,441 BadgerCare members may be affected — earlier background on who may be affected, when notices were expected and why paperwork risk matters.</li></ul><p><b>Like this:</b></p><h2>What else you should know</h2><h2>SUPPORT OUR WORK</h2><p><b>Stories like this hold leaders accountable.</b> We fact-checked GOP lawmakers' claims, analyzed the county budget, and gave you the whole picture — not just the headlines. Support independent journalism for $2/week.</p></div></body>

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Letters are expected before enforcement begins in 2027. Here are the practical steps BadgerCare members can take now. Wisconsin’s new Medicaid work requirement does not start for current members until annual renewals beginning in March 2027. But state health officials said in July that some members would receive notices before then if state records show they may need to meet the rule.

What BadgerCare members can do now

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Letters are expected before enforcement begins in 2027. Here are the practical steps BadgerCare members can take now. Wisconsin’s new Medicaid work require

What BadgerCare members can do now

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