Amna Nawaz:
President Trump’s big tax law includes a major provision the GOP has endorsed for years, work requirements for Medicaid recipients and for food stamp benefits known as SNAP.
Millions now are at risk of losing coverage in what would be the largest cuts to the social safety net since the 1990s.
Laura Barron – Lopez has the details.
Laura Barron – Lopez: Amna, in order to receive Medicaid, able-bodied childless adults between the ages of 18 and 64 will have to prove they’re either working, in school, or doing community service for 80 hours a month. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that 11.8 million Americans could lose coverage over the next decade because recipients may struggle to navigate the new paperwork, miss deadlines, or simply not apply at all.
Another work requirement change could result in more than three million Americans losing SNAP benefits, according to an earlier CBO estimate.
To help us understand the stakes, I’m joined by Pamela Herd, professor of social policy at University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy, who watches this all very closely.
Professor Herd, thank you so much for joining the “News Hour.”
Pamela Herd, University of Michigan: Thank you so much for having me.
Laura Barron – Lopez: To start, who is going to be affected by this new Medicaid work requirement provision and what kind of challenges will people face to meet these new paperwork requirements?
