It starts small. One day a letter arrives in the mail. Sometimes, a message pops up on an online portal. This is how Americans lose Medicaid. There is no fanfare, no moment of pause and consideration. It is a notice that could strip a person of their ability to get health care, to access life-saving medications, or to maintain their independence in their own home.
Recently, the federal government gave states the option to let people who are unable to work keep their Medicaid until 2027, with verification beginning in 2028. The goal was simple: make it easier for disabled and chronically ill people to stay covered. Eight states: Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, and Utah aren’t waiting.
Arkansas has been here before. A decade ago, when the state enacted work requirements, more than eighteen thousand people lost Medicaid. Many were sick or disabled and couldn’t keep up with the reporting requirements. Others were dropped because their contact information was wrong. That feels like a warning sign.
You can see the parallels in stories like Marie Noon’s. She lives in Michigan and has adult-onset Still’s disease, a rare form of arthritis. Her symptoms include a salmon-colored rash, fevers, and joint pain so severe that she sometimes crawls to her bathroom. Her Medicaid was cut off because of a technical error. A system error forced her to ration medication and endure pain no one should have to face.
In Kokomo, Indiana, Ruth Hevelone is raising twin boys with autism. Her son Sammy waited three years for a Medicaid waiver, and once he finally received it, everything changed. He sees nine specialists and receives forty hours of therapy each week.
The waiver even allows Ruth’s husband to be a full-time home health aide. Then, on June first, a notice arrived saying Sammy had lost Medicaid. The stability they fought years to build evaporated overnight.
I know that feeling. This spring, MassHealth suddenly took away my overnight PCA hours. Having someone available at night isn’t a luxury; it’s what keeps me safe. The appeal process was draining, and nobody should have to spend months fighting for the care they need.
And still, people keep fighting. Marie Noon fought. Ruth Hevelone fought. I fought. None of us should have had to. But in a system that often loses sight of the people behind the paperwork, being heard becomes a job in itself.
Sources:
Froelich, Jacqueline. “In Arkansas, Thousands of People Have Lost Medicaid Coverage over New Work Rule.” NPR, 18 Feb. 2019, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/18/694504586/in-arkansas-thousands-of-people-have-lost-medicaid-coverage-over-new-work-rule.
Kenney, Kara. “Indiana Families Lose Medicaid Access for Children with Disabilities.” WISH-TV, http://www.wishtv.com/news/i-team/indiana-families-lose-medicaid-access-for-children-with-disabilities/.
Pradhan, Rachana, et al. “Deloitte-Run Systems Denied Medicaid to Disabled People. New Laws Could Make It Worse.” NPR, 20 July 2026, http://www.npr.org/2026/07/20/nx-s1-5896359/medicaid-disabled-patients-denied-deloitte.
Ollstein, Alice Miranda, and Robert King. “The Trump Admin Offered Sick Medicaid Patients a 1-Year Lifeline. These Red States Are Rejecting It.” POLITICO, 9 Aug. 2026, http://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/09/medicaid-work-requirements-exemptions-medical-frailty-01029777.
Saleh, Christopher. “Adult-Onset Still’s Disease.” Medicine, vol. 53, no. 11, Elsevier, Nov. 2025, pp. 757–761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mpmed.2025.09.001.