Be Ready for Upcoming Iowa Medicaid Changes

By December 1, 2026, certain Iowa Health and Wellness Plan (IHAWP) Medicaid members will need to meet monthly requirements to enroll in and keep IHAWP health plan coverage. These members must reach at least 80 hours per month of the combined following activities:

• working (or earning at least $580 a month) 
• volunteering or community service
• taking part in certain job-training programs 
• being enrolled in an educational program

Per the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS), to be ready for the coming changes, members should:

• Update contact information (address, phone number, and email address) so that Iowa HHS can send insurance information to the right place. Report changes to Iowa HHS by phone at 1-877-347-5678 or email at [email protected].
• Check mail and email – Iowa HHS will send out a letter or email in the next few months to let people know if the new requirements apply to them.
• Start tracking work, volunteer, job training, and school hours now. Print off pay stubs if you will not be able to get to them in the future (change a job, etc.)
• Follow up with Iowa HHS to find out what else should be done to keep their benefits.
• Gather key health and legal records if needed to show that the new requirements do not apply to them.

If you have questions, call Iowa HHS at 1-877-347-5678 Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM, or email [email protected].

Learn more about the IHAWP Medicaid changes:

Iowa HHS IHAWP Community Engagement Requirements Webpage 

IHAWP Community Engagement Requirements Flyer