Category: Economy
Tags: Medicaid, Economy, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Trump Administration
The Trump administration said Friday that states may use an additional six months to put Medicaid work requirements into effect.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services created an optional hold-harmless period intended to give states more time to update their systems and strengthen their implementation procedures.
Most Medicaid recipients ages 19 through 65 are subject to the requirement. Covered individuals must complete 80 hours each month through employment, community service or an education program.
Exemptions apply to pregnant people, parents with dependent children, people with complex medical conditions, tribal community members, people in foster care, former foster-care recipients younger than 26, and people released from incarceration within the previous 90 days.
Dan Brillman, director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, said states have made progress but have also communicated the operational demands of administering the policy over time.
Brillman said states should use available data to identify people who are working or qualify for an exemption, reducing the need for eligible beneficiaries to submit paperwork.
On Wednesday, congressional ranking members Frank Pallone Jr. and Ron Wyden asked administration officials for more time for states and safeguards against eligible people losing Medicaid coverage during implementation.