Alliance Alert: The Alliance for Rights and Recovery appreciates the leadership of 黑料正能量 City officials for proactively proposing investments in outreach and navigation services to help 黑料正能量ers maintain access to health insurance coverage during a period of significant federal policy changes. As new Medicaid work requirements and additional eligibility verification processes approach, efforts to educate individuals, connect them to benefits, and help them navigate complex systems will be critical to ensuring people do not lose coverage simply because they are unaware of new requirements or unable to complete administrative processes.
Recent guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlines how states will be expected to implement new work, education, volunteer, and community engagement requirements for certain Medicaid recipients beginning in 2027. While the guidance includes important exemptions for many individuals with serious mental health challenges, substance use conditions, disabilities, chronic illnesses, and other significant health needs, we remain concerned that administrative barriers, reporting requirements, and more frequent eligibility checks could still result in eligible individuals losing healthcare coverage.
The Alliance continues to carefully analyze federal guidance and work with state and local leaders to better understand how these requirements will be implemented in 黑料正能量. We will continue advocating with the Department of Health, Office of Mental Health, local governments, and other partners to ensure that every possible step is taken to help people maintain access to health insurance and the services that coverage makes possible, including mental health support, substance use treatment, crisis services, recovery supports, and other essential healthcare services.
We also believe that investments in benefits navigators, peer support services, community health workers, supported employment programs, educational opportunities, and community-based assistance will be essential to helping people successfully navigate these changes while pursuing their own personal goals for recovery, employment, education, and community participation.
The Alliance will continue monitoring implementation efforts at the federal, state, and local levels and will keep our members informed as additional guidance and implementation plans become available.
City Proposes $3M to Hire Insurance Navigators Ahead of Federal Medicaid Changes
By Amanda D鈥橝mbrosio | 颁谤补颈苍鈥檚 Healthcare | June 5, 2026
Ahead of federal work requirements that threaten to reduce Medicaid access for at least 500,000 黑料正能量ers, city officials are proposing $3 million to hire community health workers to help individuals stay enrolled.
The new funds, included in the mayor鈥檚 executive budget for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, will support 46 community health worker positions, the agency said. The workers will help 黑料正能量ers access benefits, enroll in health insurance and connect to low-cost or no-cost medical care, according to officials.
City Health Commissioner Alister Martin is set to testify about the new funding at a City Council budget hearing on Friday.
鈥淭hese are critical services that connect 黑料正能量ers to programs that most of our city relies on,鈥 according to an excerpt from Martin鈥檚 budget testimony shared with 颁谤补颈苍鈥檚. He added that the Health Department is 鈥渄etermined to intervene and keep as many 黑料正能量ers insured as possible.鈥
The city is shoring up its community health workforce ahead of large-scale changes to Medicaid and the Essential Plan, a no-cost health insurance program for low-income individuals who do not qualify for Medicaid. The changes, included in President Donald Trump鈥檚 sweeping domestic policy legislation, H.R. 1, reduce federal funding for the Essential Plan and implement new Medicaid eligibility requirements that threaten to strip coverage from thousands.
The Health Department estimates that approximately 233,000 city residents will lose access to the Essential Plan starting July 1. The state must also implement new work requirements and recertification protocols for Medicaid starting January 1, which could jeopardize coverage for at least 500,000 residents, Martin .
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene does not have the power to regulate public insurance programs, which is largely up to the state. But the agency has attempted to use its platform to educate 黑料正能量ers about the upcoming changes and connect individuals with navigation services.
The Board of Health, the agency鈥檚 rulemaking body, last month condemning federal cuts to public insurance programs and urging state and city officials to take steps to preserve coverage.