CMS releases guidance for federal Medicaid work requirements

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released new guidance this week on how states should roll out the Medicaid work requirements that will affect  healthcare coverage for millions of Americans (Source: “States face tight timeline as feds unveil new Medicaid work requirement rules,” Stateline via Ohio Capital Journal, June 4).

The new interim rule is intended to give states more details on how they are supposed to verify the work status for about 20 million adults enrolled in Medicaid.

The new details come as states are planning for the Jan. 1, 2027, deadline to put the new work requirements in place, and have requested more clarity from the feds on how they’re supposed to implement them.

Congress built the new work requirements into last year’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Under the measure, states that have expanded Medicaid eligibility to more adults under the Affordable Care Act — 40 states including Ohio, plus the District of Columbia and another two that have partially expanded — will have to require those adults to prove they’re working, going to school or serving their communities for at least 80 hours a month to receive Medicaid.

A recent analysis from the Urban Institute projects that 3-7 million people could lose coverage because of the new work requirements.