Five governors have asked the Department of Health and Human Services to delay the Jan. 1, 2027, deadline for implementing Medicaid work requirements, arguing that the new policy left states without enough time to make changes.
Under the new Medicaid work requirements, those aged 19 to 64 must work, volunteer, or participate in job training for at least 80 hours per month or earn $580 per month. Qualified activities also include being a part-time student.
The June guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services applied to 20.4 million Medicaid expansion beneficiaries with household income up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Exemptions include being pregnant, medically frail, a parent of children under 14, or a caregiver for a disabled person. …