Medicaid and SNAP eligibility changes: what to know

MATT LACZKO | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Thousands of Mecklenburg County residents will lose eligibility for Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits due to federal rule changes.

Tightening federal Medicaid and food voucher eligibility rules will impact thousands of Mecklenburg County residents.

While changes to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as food stamps, will push some people off the rolls, Mecklenburg County officials are encouraging people to check their eligibility to maintain benefits. The changes include new or expanded work requirements, more frequent Medicaid renewals for some recipients, and expanded prohibition of certain noncitizens. 

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, more than 132,000 Mecklenburg residents receive SNAP benefits. Another 343,000 residents receive Medicaid, a prepaid health care initiative for the poor, according to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.

“We want to help our residents understand how the changes can impact them,” County Manager Mike Bryant said in a statement. “The rules have changed and we have to educate our community, especially our residents who count on this support for their everyday needs.” 

Some SNAP changes are already in effect. Certain adults may be required to work, volunteer or participate in approved community activities for at least 80 hours a month.

Yulonda Griffin is director of Mecklenburg County Department of Community Resources.

Eligibility rules for some noncitizens have also changed, and changes to how household expenses are calculated may affect benefit amounts. Exemptions may apply based on age, health, disability, caregiving responsibilities and other circumstances.

People who receive Medicaid or SNAP should:

• Make sure Mecklenburg County has your mailing address and phone number.

• Read every notice from the county and respond by the deadline. 

• Document work, school, or volunteer hours. 

• Get an enhanced ePASS  account, an app that allows for uploading documents with the county.  

“SNAP changes are actually have already started,” said Yulonda Griffin,  director of Mecklenburg’s Department of Community Resources. “What’s changed around SNAP is the work requirements. Able-bodied adults [eligibility] … is someone who's previously between the ages of 18 to 54 … now that age limit is 18 to 64. Additionally, if you are a parent of a child that’s 14 or over, you are also going to be required to participate in those work hours. 

“Additionally, there were some program exemptions we had before. There were certain exemptions for veterans, for homeless, for former foster youth, and those have been changed, have been eliminated as well. There have been changes regarding receiving standard utility allowance, and that can impact how much benefits you actually receive.”

As part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigration, federal rules prohibit eligibility for non-citizens.

“There were changes around that started in February of this year, where certain individuals that would have been eligible, for example non-citizens like refugees and asylees that would have been eligible are no longer eligible for the program,” Griffin said. “Medicaid has some similar changes, but those are actually going into effect soon.

Medicaid changes will take effect next month and early 2027.

Starting on Oct. 1, changes to federal eligibility rules will affect Medicaid coverage for some noncitizens. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, recipients ages 19 through 64 will also be required to meet work or community engagement requirements including school enrollment, job training, volunteering and community service.

Also, some recipients will be required to renew their eligibility every six months instead of annually with exemptions for people with disabilities or serious medical conditions, pregnant women, parents, and caregivers.

“Part of why we wanted to push this awareness because those changes are coming quickly upon us with Medicaid,” Griffin said. “The non-citizen eligibility has changed – before it was larger groups of non-citizens that were here for humanitarian reasons primarily that would have been eligible with the Medicaid now effective Oct. 1, it really narrows down the eligibility for who’s eligible. 

“You have to be a lawful permanent resident. You can be a child that’s living here up to 19 if you’re lawfully residing, pregnant, or have given birth in the last 12 months, Cuban and Haitian entrants, as well as some citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Kalu living in the U.S. It’s really limited the folks that were here under those humanitarian reasons.”

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