State tracker

Delaware — Medicaid Coverage Retention

Applies Last updated 2026-06-03 · confidence: high

Delaware is subject to federal Medicaid community-engagement/work-requirement implementation beginning January 1, 2027, unless modified by future federal or state guidance.

Procurement / RFP activity

None identified

No public RFP for work-requirement communications/outreach identified as of 2026-06-03.

Procurement portal: Delaware Bid Solicitation Directory (bids.delaware.gov -> mmp.delaware.gov/Bids) and the DHSS Bonfire/Euna portal (dhss.bonfirehub.com); statewide Government Support Services uses gss.bonfirehub.com. DMMA posts its RFPs through dhss.bonfirehub.com. · Implementation funding: Pending / not separately broken out. Gov. Matt Meyer's FY27 recommended budget (released Jan 29-30, 2026; ~$6.9B) includes Medicaid funding (FY26 carried roughly $140M added Medicaid) but discloses no dedicated line item for H.R.1 work-requirement implementation, system changes, or outreach. No state appropriation or federal implementation-grant figure specific to community-engagement build-out was found for Delaware.

Latest detail

Delaware (DMMA, within DHSS) must implement the H.R.1/OBBBA 80-hour/month community-engagement requirement by Jan 1, 2027, with member tracking expected to begin December 2026 and expansion adults moving to 6-month renewals; outreach to enrollees nationally is expected to begin around September 2026. CMS issued the implementing interim final rule (CMS-2454-IFC) on June 1, 2026, leaving a very tight runway. Delaware has not posted any identifiable solicitation for work-requirement member communications/outreach or for a community-engagement/eligibility-system build; the only current DMMA RFPs on the portal are unrelated (e.g., HSS-26-023 Incentive/Contingency Management Platform for SUD, proposals due Dec 17, 2025). This aligns with the KFF survey finding that most states are amending contracts with existing eligibility vendors (Deloitte is the incumbent for over half of reporting states) rather than running new RFPs given the deadline, though Delaware's specific vendor for the work-requirement changes was not publicly confirmed.

Medicaid expansion status	Expanded
Implementation status	Pending state guidance (no DE-specific implementation plan verified; federal default applies)
Who may be affected	Yes — expansion adults
Reporting frequency	Pending state guidance
Reporting method	Pending state guidance
Renewal cadence	Every 6 months for expansion adults (H.R.1)
Notice timing	Pending state guidance
Self-attestation allowed?	Pending state guidance
State system / vendor	Pending state guidance
Major Medicaid MCOs	Pending state guidance
Languages likely needed	Pending state guidance

Key exemption categories to monitor

80 hours/month of work, job training, education, or community service — or qualifying monthly income.
Targets many ACA Medicaid expansion adults (19–64); non-expansion states largely have no such group.
Federal enforcement: January 1, 2027 (states implement; some earlier).
New: expansion adults redetermine every 6 months (not annually).
Commonly-defined exemptions: pregnancy/postpartum; medically frail; primary caregiver; disability; SUD treatment; certain students; tribe (AIAN); short-term hardship. Exact definitions set by CMS rule and each state.

Short-term hardship exemptions to track

Short-term hardship exemptions — adoption pending state guidance.

Member communication risk

Risk detail pending.

What MCOs & state partners should do now

Segment affected members
Identify likely exemptions
Send plain-language multilingual notices
Deploy SMS/email/IVR reminders
Track retention outcomes

Operating in Delaware?

The member-notice window is open now and closes August 31, 2026. Complete a Coverage Retention Readiness Audit while there is still time to act — we build CMS-compliant, plain-language, multilingual outreach to keep eligible Delaware members enrolled.

Request a Coverage Retention Audit

Frequently asked

Who is subject to Medicaid work requirements in Delaware?

Many ACA Medicaid expansion adults ages 19–64 who do not qualify for an exemption. Final scope is set by CMS rule and state implementation.

When do Delaware Medicaid work requirements start?

Federal enforcement begins January 1, 2027 (some states may implement earlier). Member notices are expected in the federally-required window of June 30–August 31, 2026.

What exemptions are available?

Federal baseline categories include parent/caretaker of a child under 14, pregnant/postpartum, disabled/medically frail, American Indian/Alaska Native, and those already meeting SNAP/TANF work rules. Short-term hardship exemptions and exact definitions are set by CMS rule and state implementation.

Sources

This page tracks publicly available implementation information and is updated as Delaware publishes guidance. State-specific rules are evolving. Not legal or eligibility advice.