October 1, 2026 3:40 p.m.  

On Thursday, Governor Tina Kotek led a group of four other governors from California, Maine, New York, and Virginia in calling on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to give states more time to implement new Medicaid requirements.

A release from the Governor’s office said with less than 100 days until the rules take effect on January 1st, letters warning Oregonians about potential coverage changes are already arriving in mailboxes.

Governor Kotek said “One-third of Oregon families – including seniors, disabled Oregonians, and children – rely on Medicaid, which is the Oregon Health Plan. We’re working to ensure people who are eligible have a pathway to stay insured.” Kotek said, “The new rules institute additional administrative barriers that will lead to people losing their healthcare. That is why we are proactively getting information out to families and providers now and rapidly training eligibility workers as we coordinate our response to the changes across the state.”

The release said the extension will allow states to implement the law responsibly, minimize avoidable disruptions in coverage, and ensure the new requirements are administered in a way that is understandable and navigable for people who depend on Medicaid.

Thursday’s letter follows a May 2026 multi-state letter that Governor Kotek and five other governors signed urging changes to the initially proposed timeline and unclear rules. The governors called for immediate written guidance, flexibility in implementation, and final rules that aligned with early policy direction before going into effect next year.  The Trump Administration has not responded to those requests according to Governor Kotek’s release.