Republican Sens. John Kennedy and Eric Schmitt of Louisiana and Missouri, respectively, introduced the Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act, Feb. 6, according to a news release. The bill would require able-bodied adults without dependents to work or volunteer at least 20 hours a week to receive benefits.
Here are five things to know:
- Lawmakers have floated cuts to Medicaid as an option to offset the cost of extending President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. The tax program is set to expire at the end of 2025.
- Work requirements could save $109 billion over 10 years, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis published in 2023. That year, House Republicans included work requirements in a bill to raise the debt ceiling. The requirements were later struck from the bill.
- If federal work requirements are implemented, around 1.5 million people would lose federal funding for their health coverage, according to CBO estimates. The office estimated states would cover the full cost of coverage for around 60% of these individuals, leaving 600,000 uninsured.
- In 2023, around 6 in 10 adult Medicaid recipients worked full or part-time, according to KFF. Another 3 in 10 did not work due to caregiving responsibilities, disability or school attendance. Around 1 in 10 recipients reported not working due to retirement, inability to find a job or other reasons.
- Lawmakers at the state level have also pushed to implement work requirements in the program. At least four Republican governors have said they plan to submit waiver requests to HHS to allow them to implement work requirements for Medicaid recipients.
