More than a half million of the poorest Americans could be left without health insurance under legislation passed by House Republicans that would require people to work in exchange for health care coverage through Medicaid. It’s one of dozens of provisions tucked into a GOP bill that would allow for an increase in the debt limit but curb government spending over the next decade. The bill is unlikely to become law, though. It is being used by House Republicans to draw Democrats to the negotiating table and avoid a debt default. Democrats have strongly opposed the Medicaid work requirement provision, saying it won’t incentivize people to get a job and will drive up the number of uninsured in the country. Here’s a look at how the proposal might save taxpayers money but cost some Americans access to health care coverage. WHO WOULD BE REQUIRED TO WORK? The work requirements say able-bodied adults ages 19 to 55 who don’t have children or other dependents would be required to work, train for a job or perform community service to stay on Medicaid. They would have to put in at least 80 hours a month to stay on the government-sponsored health care coverage. About 84 million people are enrolled in Medicaid, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates 15 million would be subject to the requirement. The Health and Human Services Department, however, predicts millions more — about a third of enrollees altogether — would be required to work. WHY ARE WORK REQUIREMENTS CONTROVERSIAL? Republicans say the move would help push Americans into jobs that eventually might put them in a position to move off of government aid. The requirements would also be more equitable for those who are working to support their families, said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. “That single mom that’s working two or three jobs right now to make ends meet under this tough economy, she doesn’t want to have to pay for somebody who’s sitting at home,” Scalise said. Democrats argue that work requirements could unfairly push people out of Medicaid, too. Some people were wrongly kicked off Medicaid in Arkansas when the state briefly introduced work requirements, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told lawmakers. In some cases, people were not required to work but didn’t fill out the required paperwork. “It’s not just people who are subject to the requirements that often get caught up in red tape,” she said. “It can often be people who are exempted.” About 1 in 4 people who were required to work lost coverage during Arkansas’ experience with work requirements in 2018. Work requirements can put Medicaid enrollees in a bind. While no one has been kicked off Medicaid over the last three years because of the pandemic, that changed in April when the federal government required states to review income eligibility for all enrollees to see who now makes too much money to qualify for the health care benefits. People who picked up work, earned a small raise or switched jobs are finding that those new incomes could soon cost them coverage. Amy Shaw, 39, of Rochester, New Hampshire, lost her family’s Medicaid coverage in April because of her husband’s 50-cent raise to $17 per hour at an auto parts store. Shaw wouldn’t be […]
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