New campaign aims to help millions at risk of losing Medicaid coverage under work requirements

MECHANICSVILLE, Va. — In 100 days, on Jan. 1, new federal work and reporting requirements kick in for Medicaid recipients, leaving roughly 10 million Americans at risk of losing healthcare coverage, as states scramble to prepare for the most substantial change to the program in decades. A new, $2 million campaign called “Keep Your Care,” an independent nonprofit, launched Wednesday. Shared exclusively with NBC News, it aims to educate states and Medicaid recipients ahead of the massive change. For Melanie and Greg Stephens, who live in a small town outside of Richmond, Virginia, the resources can’t come soon enough. On Aug. 31, the family received a letter in the mail informing them of the new guidelines.

“When I received the letter about all the changes coming up, I had a panic attack because I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, what does this mean?’” Melanie Stephens said. As full-time caregivers for their disabled daughter, Rachel, they are exempt from the 80-hours-per-month work or community service requirement that will affect most eligible adults in the new year. But they will still need to prove they are exempt every six months. “Our concern is not so much on our part because we are thorough,” Greg Stephens said. “Once it leaves us and goes to a Medicaid worker to process, that’s where we are