Back To ArticlesCongress is considering adding a costly and restrictive proposal to add a work requirement to Medicaid. This would require all working-age enrollees to report their work or verify their disability, serious illness, caregiving, or attendance in school or job training on a monthly basis. Failure to do so or problems verifying a status would result in the person being cut from Medicaid.
Work Requirements Would Jeopardize Coverage for 1 in 3 Pennsylvanians on Medicaid and Result in 240,000 Likely Losing Coverage Wrongfully
Nearly 998,000 adults would need to verify either their work or eligibility for an exemption on a monthly basis. This would increase the volume of work at the county assistance offices nearly five-fold. Assuming Pennsylvania’s experience would be similar to other states with work requirements, this surge in volume with a restrictive set of requirements would lead to almost 1 in 4 losing coverage wrongfully – that is nearly 240,000 Pennsylvanians who are already working or who are disabled, seriously ill, in treatment, caring for a loved one, retired, or attending school or job training.
Read the full report here, including estimates of coverage losses by Congressional District.