LINCOLN — The director of the Nebraska program that oversees Medicaid and long-term care has resigned after less than two years in his position and as Nebraska became the first state to implement more aggressive work requirements for program participants.
Drew Gonshorowski, director of the division of Medicaid and Long-Term Care in the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, plans to pursue opportunities on the East Coast while being closer to family, according to a statement Thursday by Gov. Jim Pillen’s office.
Pillen said Gonshorowski understood the fundamentals of strong health care policy and “how best to implement programs that benefit the greatest number of people.”
“His leadership has allowed Nebraska to be first in implementing work requirements and eligibility checks as required through the One Big Beautiful Bill,” the governor said.
States are required to implement those changes by Jan. 1, 2027, but Nebraska began requiring new enrollees to comply on May 1, eight months early. Starting Aug. 1 in Nebraska, the rules also applied to existing enrollees — translating into a likely loss of coverage for some current participants. Gonshorowski had estimated that about 200 Nebraskans will lose Medicaid coverage starting in August under the new rules.
Health advocates haveraised alarmsabout what they have called Nebraska’s “rushed” implementation.
The governor’s statement said a search for Gonshorowski’s replacement will begin, and the governor has appointed Jeremy Brunssen, deputy director of finance and program integrity for Medicaid & Long-Term Care, to serve as the division’s interim director.
According to the statement, Brunssen has been with DHHS for nearly a decade and served as interim director for the same division in 2020.
DHHS CEO Steve Corsi said Gonshorowski has been a tremendous asset to the state.
Gonshorowski began serving as director of Medicaid and Long-Term Care in December 2024. He previously was a policy analyst for Paragon Health Institute and before that with the Heritage Foundation.
In the statement released by Pillen’s office, Gonshorowski said it has been a “privilege and an honor to serve alongside some of the most dedicated workers within MLTC Division.”
