COVID-19 Forces Changes to Nebraska's Medicaid Expansion Plan

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska is changing its plans to expand Medicaid in a way that will force more recipients to start out with a “basic” plan that doesn’t include coverage for dental and vision services or over-the-counter medications.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services says the tweaks were necessary because the federal government is occupied right now with its response to the coronavirus pandemic and doesn’t have time to approve the state’s Medicaid expansion proposal. Prime coverage that includes all services won’t be available until the federal government approves Nebraska’s proposed waiver for the program, and that decision will likely get pushed off for another six months.