Nebraska Medicaid Program Overview
Enrollment, funding, and managed care facts for Nebraska Medicaid.
Get Nebraska's Medicaid Fee Schedule →Enrollment
Nebraska Medicaid covered approximately 0.33-0.35M people. Two independent sources give close but different-period figures for total Nebraska Medicaid/CHIP enrollment: KFF's state indicator (332,232, May 2026) and CMS's 2024 Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment and Program Characteristics report (351,141 total Medicaid enrollees, July 1, 2024). Consistent with continued post-pandemic 'unwinding' enrollment decline between mid-2024 and mid-2026, not a data error. Reported as a range rather than a single false-precision number.
Funding & federal match
Nebraska has adopted ACA Medicaid expansion, effective 2020-10-01.
For FFY2026 (Oct 1, 2025 - Sep 30, 2026), Nebraska's Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) is 55.94%.
Delivery system & managed care
A large share of Nebraska Medicaid is delivered through managed care organizations (MCOs) rather than fee-for-service — estimates range from 99.7-99.8% of Medicaid enrollees.
Waivers
Nebraska operates Medicaid managed care under the Nebraska Heritage Health Managed Care Program, a Section 1915(b) demonstration waiver. Mandatory statewide Medicaid managed care program integrating physical health, behavioral health, dental, and pharmacy benefits through three MCOs (Nebraska Total Care, Molina Healthcare/WellCare, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan). Operates under Section 1915(b) waiver authority; current approval period runs through September 30, 2027 (MCO contracts run January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2028, with two optional one-year extensions).
Has Nebraska expanded Medicaid under the ACA?
Yes. Nebraska has adopted ACA Medicaid expansion. Effective 2020-10-01.
How many people are enrolled in Nebraska Medicaid?
Approximately 0.33-0.35M people.
What percentage of the federal Medicaid match does Nebraska receive?
55.94% for FFY2026 (Oct 1, 2025 - Sep 30, 2026) — meaning the federal government pays roughly 56 cents of every Nebraska Medicaid dollar, and the state pays the rest.
Is most of Nebraska Medicaid delivered through managed care?
Estimates range from 99.7-99.8% of Medicaid enrollees in managed care.
What Medicaid waivers does Nebraska operate under?
Nebraska Heritage Health Managed Care Program, a Section 1915(b) demonstration waiver. Mandatory statewide Medicaid managed care program integrating physical health, behavioral health, dental, and pharmacy benefits through three MCOs (Nebraska Total Care, Molina Healthcare/WellCare, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan). Operates under Section 1915(b) waiver authority; current approval period runs through September 30, 2027 (MCO contracts run January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2028, with two optional one-year extensions).
Get Nebraska's Free Medicaid Fee Schedule
Request actual Nebraska Medicaid reimbursement rates by billing code — free, delivered as a CSV.
Sources
- KFF State Health Facts - Total Monthly Medicaid & CHIP Enrollment
- CMS - Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment and Program Characteristics, 2024
- Federal Register / GPO - Federal Financial Participation in State Assistance Expenditures, FFY2026 FMAP Notice (2024-27910), Table 1
- MACPAC - MACStats Medicaid and CHIP Data Book, Exhibit 6 (FMAPs and E-FMAPs by State, FYs 2023-2026)
- KFF - Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions
- healthinsurance.org - Medicaid eligibility and enrollment in Nebraska
- MACPAC - MACStats Medicaid and CHIP Data Book, Exhibit 29 (Percentage of Medicaid Enrollees in Managed Care by State, July 1, 2022)
- Medicaid.gov - Nebraska Section 1915(b) Waiver Proposal (Health Connection, NE-0003)
- Nebraska DHHS - Heritage Health Program Overview
Data last verified 2026-09-17. Also see our free Medicaid Fee Schedule tool.