On August 19, the Asian American Federation (AAFE) held a seminar at its office in Flushing to discuss the impact of the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act, H.R.1” on Medicaid and SNAP beneficiaries.
The speakers included AAFE’s Health and Social Service Program Manager, Wu Minghui, as well as community service workers Zhang Maly and Zhang Xiaodong. According to the new regulations, adults aged 18-64 who are able to work (excluding those with children under 14 to support) must prove they are working, studying, undergoing job training, or engaging in community service activities to maintain their Medicaid eligibility. There are three main ways to meet the requirements:
The first is to provide income proof, earning a minimum of $580 per month to meet the criteria.
The second is to show proof of work hours (study, training, volunteering), completing at least 80 hours of eligible activities per month, including employment, at least part-time schooling, participation in job training or employment programs, and engaging in volunteer work or assistance in the community (volunteer opportunities can be found on the HRA website under “Find volunteer opportunities”).
The third method combines income and activity hours. For example, if someone earns $380 per month, equivalent to about 52 hours based on the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, they would still be 28 hours short of the monthly 80-hour requirement. Therefore, they would need to complete an additional 28 hours of work, study, training, or community activities to meet the criteria.
For new applicants, starting from January 1, 2027, proof must be provided that they met the new work requirements in the month before applying for Medicaid.
For existing Medicaid holders aged 18-64, starting from March 1, 2027, and subsequent renewal dates, proof of compliance must be shown at least one month before renewal.
People aged 18 or below and 65 or above are not subject to work requirements; pregnant women or those who have been pregnant in the past 12 months are also exempt.
Those registered for Medicaid due to disability or diagnosed with physical or mental health conditions that make it difficult to work, as well as those undergoing drug or alcohol abuse treatment programs, are also exempt from work requirements.
In terms of family and welfare status, individuals eligible for Medicare Part A or Part B, caregivers of individuals with disabilities, or caregivers of children under 14 are also exempt from these requirements.
Those receiving SNAP or TANF and meeting related work requirements do not need to repeat the work requirements for Medicaid.
Additionally, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, fully disabled veterans, and individuals who were in Foster Care and are under 26 years old are also exempt.
Under the new regulations, New York State will no longer provide continuous Medicaid coverage to adults. This means that if an adult member’s income exceeds the Medicaid eligibility standards between two renewals, they may lose their Medicaid eligibility and cannot rely on the previous continuous coverage rules.
There have been adjustments made to child regulations as well. The state will no longer provide children enrolled in Medicaid or Child Health Plus with more than 12 months of continuous coverage; children must renew their coverage annually.
New York State previously expanded the Essential Plan to cover individuals with incomes between 200% and 250% of the federal poverty line; however, this expansion was canceled as of July 1, 2026.
Pregnant individuals under the Essential Plan will continue to be covered and will not lose insurance immediately due to the aforementioned changes; however, the specific plan may be adjusted based on the expected delivery date, among other factors.
There have been no changes to Essential Plans 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Furthermore, as of July 1, 2026, DACA beneficiaries no longer have access to New York State’s Essential Plan coverage.
For Emergency Medicaid, if the insured individual does not use it within six months of registration, the system will automatically terminate the coverage, but they can reapply.
Individuals aged 65 and above apply for Medicaid differently from those under 65, primarily through the Human Resources Administration (HRA) in New York City.
Based on 2026 standards, individuals aged 65 and above applying for Medicaid must have monthly incomes below $1,836 for a single person and below $2,489 for a couple; in terms of assets, individuals must have assets below $33,038 for single individuals and below $44,796 for couples. The application approval process takes approximately 45 working days.