mobanmarketRecent analyses bolster the case that attacks on Medicaid via work requirements—encouraged and permitted by the Trump administration—threaten the access to care and therefore health of millions of Americans.
Ten states have so far requested approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to impose work or “community engagement” requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries. Three of them—Kentucky, Indiana, and Arkansas—have already received White House approval, while the other seven—Arizona, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Utah, and Wisconsin—are waiting for the same.
Looking just at those 10 states, PwC’s Health Research Institute found that the requirements will impact 1.7 million Medicaid recipients. That equals about half—46 percent—of the entire Medicaid populations in those states.
PwC notes that the requirements could lead to “a steady increase in uninsured patients.” The analysis adds: “Many of the states requesting waivers also have rural hospital systems heavily dependent on Medicaid, struggling with low margins. Some states, such as Kentucky, have counties with rates of unemployment higher than the national average, which could make finding consistent work challenging.”
Kentucky, however, was the first state to get the CMS seal of approval.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) put it simply: “Medicaid work requirements will almost certainly cause many low-income adults to lose health coverage.”
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