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New Jersey Medicaid and the new work rules
NJ FamilyCare, Plan ABP (Alternative Benefit Plan) — the ACA expansion-adult group, ages 19-64 is run by New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS). New Jersey expanded Medicaid on January 1, 2014, which is why the new federal work requirement reaches this state — and why what you do before January 1, 2027 matters.
From January 1, 2027, most adults have to show 80 hours a month
The requirement applies to adults aged 19 to 64 covered through Medicaid expansion — around 540,000 people in New Jersey. It is not only about paid work: study, job training, volunteering and a mix of them all count , and earning at least $580 a month satisfies it on its own.
DMAHS says it will first try to verify work-requirement compliance and exemption status automatically using data it already has (such as SNAP, TANF, wage, or medical-claims records) before contacting a member directly. Members do not need to send documents unless NJ FamilyCare specifically asks for them.
If your hours swing from month to month, say so. The rule is written per month, which is the wrong shape for farm and fishing work, construction, tourism and seasonal retail — a good month and a dead month average out to a living, but the dead month is the one that fails. Federal law has a provision for exactly this: a seasonal worker can satisfy the requirement using their average monthly income over the previous six months instead of hours worked in the month being checked. It is at 42 CFR 435.552(a)(7), and the law defines who counts as seasonal by pointing at the tax code rather than listing jobs, so do not decide for yourself that it misses you. If your work is seasonal or your hours are irregular, tell the state that when you report, and ask for the six-month average to be used.
That is the state's own estimate of how many will lose coverage.
New Jersey DHS's current public estimate, most recently reaffirmed by DMAHS Assistant Commissioner Greg Woods in August 2026 (as reported by NJ Spotlight News) and consistent with DHS's own May 2026 budget-hearing document, which projects a cumulative enrollment loss ranging up to roughly 330,000 by state fiscal year 2030 from work requirements and six-month redeterminations combined. An earlier, larger 'up to 700,000 at risk' figure appeared in a February 2025 DHS slide deck modeling the Congressional budget proposal before H.R. 1 was enacted — that figure described people potentially affected under various pre-enactment scenarios, not DHS's current post-enactment estimate, and is superseded by the 350,000 figure used here.
Most of that is expected to be paperwork rather than people becoming ineligible. Which is the whole reason to sort out your address and your proof now rather than at the last minute.
You do not have to prove anything if any of these describe you
Exemptions are meant to be applied by the state automatically from records it already holds, but records are imperfect. If one of these fits you and you still get asked to report hours, say so and ask them to check — don't assume the notice is right.
What you can earn and still qualify
Monthly income, before tax, for the whole household. These are the state's own published figures, which is what its caseworkers actually apply. If you are close to a line, apply anyway — some income does not count, and only the agency can run the calculation for your situation.
Adults 19 to 64138% of the poverty line
- 1 person
- $1,836
- 2 people
- $2,489
- 3 people
- $3,142
- 4 people
- $3,795
- 5 people
- $4,449
- 6 people
- $5,102
Parents and caretakers138% of the poverty line
- 1 person
- $1,836
- 2 people
- $2,489
- 3 people
- $3,142
- 4 people
- $3,795
- 5 people
- $4,449
- 6 people
- $5,102
Pregnant205% of the poverty line
- 1 person
- $2,727
- 2 people
- $3,697
- 3 people
- $4,668
- 4 people
- $5,638
- 5 people
- $6,608
- 6 people
- $7,579
Source: NJ FamilyCare Income Chart, effective January 1, 2026 (njfamilycare.dhs.state.nj.us/docs/income_e.pdf), corroborated by DMAHS's 'Children under age 19' page. A note on precision: New Jersey's own chart publishes adults 19-64 as a single '0-138%' band — unlike some states, it does not separately publish a 133% test plus a 5% disregard; 138% is the number the state itself states, so no 133-vs-138 reconciliation is needed here. We publish the state figure.
Two other changes land on the same day
Renewals get more frequent, and back-dated coverage gets shorter.
P.L. 119-21 §71112, amending 42 U.S.C. §1396a(a)(34). Applies to applications submitted on or after January 1, 2027.
Do this now
Update your address and phone number first. Everything about the new rules arrives by mail, and a stale address is the most common reason people lose coverage they are still entitled to. Then check whether an exemption applies to you.
About the phone numbers: NJHelps.org is a screening tool only — it estimates whether you might qualify but is not an application and cannot check your case status. Use njfamilycare.org (njfamilycare.dhs.state.nj.us) to apply or check status.
Deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired: 711.
NJ FamilyCare's main application is published in English and Spanish, and the help line (1-800-701-0710, TTY 711) offers live translators for most other languages at no cost, so someone who needs a different language should call rather than look for a translated paper form. New Jersey's broader fact sheets and outreach flyers about NJ FamilyCare go further, published in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French Creole, Haitian Creole, Gujarati, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish, plus Bengali, Dari, French, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Pashto, Polish, Russian, Tagalog, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese. New Jersey also provides free aids for people with disabilities, including qualified sign language interpreters and information in accessible formats such as large print, audio, and electronic formats.
Most people who lose coverage lose it over paperwork, not eligibility
Nationally, most people who lose Medicaid lose it over paperwork rather than because they stopped qualifying. From January 1, 2027 that matters more, not less.
NOTICE OF ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION
Case number: ███████
Date of this notice: 1January 12, 2027
Our records do not show that you met the community engagement requirement for the reporting period.
2If you believe this is incorrect, or if an exemption applies to you, contact us on or before February 11, 2027.
3Coverage for other members of your household is not affected by this notice.
What the federal data says about coverage here
Public federal data describes how each state runs its program. Almost all of it is written for policy analysts. Here is what those numbers mean if you are the person enrolled.
Provider supply here is around the national middle.
Book an appointment before you need one, not when you do.
Coverage here runs through private health plans rather than the state paying providers directly. You pick a plan, and your plan decides your network.
Check your doctor is in the plan before you choose it.
Questions people ask about this
Do the new Medicaid work rules apply to me in New Jersey?
How many hours a month do I have to work?
Who is exempt from the work requirement in New Jersey?
When do the New Jersey work rules start?
What is the income limit for New Jersey Medicaid?
How do I apply for NJ FamilyCare, Plan ABP (Alternative Benefit Plan) — the ACA expansion-adult group, ages 19-64?
How often do I have to renew New Jersey Medicaid?
Guides for neighboring states
The rules change completely at the state line. If you moved recently, or you're helping family somewhere else, start with their state rather than this one.
If you're on NJ FamilyCare and between 19 and 64, check your health plan ID card for 'Plan ABP' — that's New Jersey's label for the expansion-adult group that will face the new 80-hour-a-month work requirement starting January 1, 2027, and will move to renewing coverage every six months instead of once a year.
NJ FamilyCare says it will try to verify your work, school, caregiving, or exemption status automatically, but if a letter arrives asking you to respond, do it quickly — about 540,000 New Jerseyans are affected and the state's own estimate is that roughly 350,000 could lose coverage if they don't.
Updating your address takes two minutes and protects everything else. Do that first, then check the exemption list above.
Go to Apply Online (njfamilycare.org) →