Jennifer Tolbert:
Right.
So this bill for the first time imposes a national work requirement on the Medicaid program. It would require people, certain individuals covered by Medicaid, to work at least 80 hours a month or to engage in community service or work training or to be enrolled in school.
Now, there are some exemptions. Parents who — of dependent children, as well as people who are medically frail, are exempt from these requirements.
But, nevertheless, new rules are being added to Medicaid, despite the fact that the majority of people who will be subject to the new requirements are in fact already working or are not working for reasons that would likely qualify them for an exemption, because, for example, they are caring for young children or aging parents, or they’re in school, or they have a chronic condition or other health condition that limits their ability to work.
And what we know about experience in Arkansas and Georgia, two states that have implemented work requirements at the state level, is that these new rules pose barriers to people enrolling in coverage and lead to coverage loss. And this is losses of coverage among people who are eligible for the requirements, but who have difficulty navigating the reporting requirements and providing the documentation needed to verify that they in fact meet the requirement.
