Medicaid Work Requirements in Louisiana
In Louisiana, work requirements begin with new applicants and members up for renewal starting January 1, 2027. LDH mails renewal packets 60 days before your renewal date, and you have 45 days to respond.
Check your situation in Louisiana
When it starts in Louisiana
- May 2026: LDH planned a work requirement notice for members renewing in January 2027.
- November 2026: renewal packets with work requirement materials for January 2027 renewals.
- January 1, 2027: the requirement starts at renewal and for new applicants.
Who has to meet it
The rule applies to people ages 19 to 64 in the Medicaid adult expansion group, unless they are pregnant, have Medicare, or are exempt. You meet it in a month with 80 hours of work, community service, a work program, or school (in any mix), by going to school at least half-time, or with at least $580 in monthly income.
You are exempt if, for example, you care for a child 13 or younger or a person with a disability, are pregnant or postpartum, are American Indian or Alaska Native, are medically frail, are a veteran with a total (100%) VA disability rating or TDIU, were in foster care at 18 and are under 26, are in drug or alcohol treatment, meet SNAP or TANF work rules, or left jail or prison in the last 3 months. See the full exemption list.
Court ruling, October 29, 2026. In Massachusetts v. Oz, a federal court struck down the CMS rule's extra "significantly impairs" test for the medically frail exemption. If you are in any of the five medically frail groups in the law, you qualify. The January 1, 2027 start date did not change, and CMS may appeal. What the ruling means.
How Louisiana checks and how to report
Months checked: LDH has not published a set number of months on its main page. Read your renewal packet for the months being checked.
Report online in the Louisiana Medicaid self-service portal (mymedicaid.la.gov) or the EMMY mobile tool, which can take income and hours worked, or by phone. LDH also has a Community Engagement Requirements Verification Form. For 2027 renewals you can self-attest to exemptions. Starting in 2028, a medical provider may need to complete the form.
Other things to know in Louisiana
- LDH says it will use existing state records, such as employment and Social Security records, to check whether members meet the rule.
- The Louisiana Illuminator reported in September 2026 that about 58,000 people may need to take extra steps and about 1.1 million enrollees will be automatically exempt.
Official tools and contacts
- Report and upload: Louisiana Medicaid self-service portal
- Louisiana Medicaid Customer Service: 1-888-342-6207
- Healthy Louisiana Help Line (TTY 1-855-526-3346): 1-855-229-6848
- LDH: Medicaid work requirements
- Verification Form (PDF)
- Agency: Louisiana Department of Health (LDH)
Federal protections that apply in Louisiana
- The state must check its own records before asking you for proof.
- If it can't confirm you meet the rule, you get a notice and at least 30 days to respond, and your coverage continues meanwhile.
- You get written notice and the right to a fair hearing before coverage ends, and you can reapply at any time.
- If you lose Medicaid for not meeting the rule, you cannot get marketplace premium tax credits for those months. Learn more.
Frequently asked questions
When do Medicaid work requirements start in Louisiana?
January 1, 2027. Current members are usually checked at their first renewal on or after that date.
How many months does Louisiana check?
LDH has not published a set number of months on its main page. Read your renewal packet for the months being checked.
How do I report my hours or an exemption in Louisiana?
Report online in the Louisiana Medicaid self-service portal (mymedicaid.la.gov) or the EMMY mobile tool, which can take income and hours worked, or by phone. LDH also has a Community Engagement Requirements Verification Form. For 2027 renewals you can self-attest to exemptions. Starting in 2028, a medical provider may need to complete the form.
Who do I call about Louisiana Medicaid work requirements?
Louisiana Medicaid Customer Service: 1-888-342-6207
Healthy Louisiana Help Line (TTY 1-855-526-3346): 1-855-229-6848
Can I lose Louisiana Medicaid right away if I don't meet the requirement?
No. Federal law requires a notice, at least 30 days to show you comply or are exempt, continued coverage during that time, and fair hearing rights before coverage ends.
Sources
- LDH: Medicaid work requirements
- LDH: work requirements fact sheet
- LDH: Healthy Louisiana
- Louisiana Illuminator (Sept. 21, 2026)
- Public Law 119-21 (H.R. 1), sec. 71119: community engagement requirement (GovInfo)
- CMS interim final rule, Medicaid community engagement requirement, 91 FR 33348 (June 3, 2026)
- Massachusetts v. Oz, No. 1:26-cv-12962-RGS (D. Mass.), memorandum and order (Oct. 29, 2026)