Center for American Progress

COUNTERPOINT: Should Medicaid Recipients Have to Work for Benefits?
In the News

COUNTERPOINT: Should Medicaid Recipients Have to Work for Benefits?

Author Madeline Twomey discusses why imposing "work requirements" on Medicaid recipients creates a dangerous barrier to health care

At the beginning of 2018, the Trump administration announced that it would allow states to impose so-called work requirements on Medicaid recipients, issuing guidance on how state officials can utilize federal waivers to incentivize “work and community engagement activities.” These activities typically include employment, volunteering, or enrollment in educational programs.

Although this type of reform may sound reasonable, imposing these restrictions are costly and actually threaten to increase the number of uninsured people and impose strict barriers to health care for the people already struggling to make ends meet.

The above excerpt was originally published in Illinois Business Journal. Click here to view the full article.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.

Authors

Madeline Twomey

Research Assistant