On January 11, the Trump administration moved to allow states to impose work requirements for Medicaid recipients. A letter sent to state Medicaid directors laid out the shift if policy, which gives states the opportunity to apply for waivers to allow them to establish work requirements for adult Medicaid recipients to be eligible for health coverage.

Advocates have long opposed the addition of such work requirements citing, among other reasons, that access to medical care is critical to keeping people healthy, which allows them to work. The Protect our Care Coalition said in a statement, “[T]he majority of adults covered by Medicaid who can work, do work – often two or three jobs in fields like the service industry that are less likely to offer insurance. This new attack on Medicaid has nothing to do with program integrity, and everything to do with the recently revealed stop-by-stop Trump Administration plot to wage war on our health care.” The National Health Law Program is reportedly weighing possible legal action if state waivers adding work requirements are approved. Decisions on such proposals from some states are expected soon, with Kentucky possibly being first. To learn more about waivers being tracked in the states, click here.

Subscribe: