Overview

• The House-approved budget bill includes Medicaid work requirements for able-bodied adults aged 19–64, mandating 80 hours of verified monthly community engagement or work to retain coverage.
• Experts warn the complex reporting requirements could lead to significant coverage losses, even among eligible recipients, due to administrative burdens and confusion.
• The Congressional Budget Office projects $300 billion in federal savings over a decade, largely from Medicaid disenrollment rather than increased workforce participation.
• Historical precedents, such as Arkansas’s 2018 program, resulted in tens of thousands losing coverage without boosting employment rates, raising doubts about the policy's effectiveness.
• The bill includes exemptions for pregnancy, hardship, and other specific situations, but critics argue the verification process for exemptions could still pose barriers for many.