Trump Administration Plans To Help States Implement Work Requirements for Medicaid

The Trump administration has announced plans to help states implement work requirements for Medicaid.

The guidance says states should promote programs that will better Medicaid beneficiaries' physical, mental, and emotional health while helping them and their families rise out of poverty and gain independence.

"CMS will support state efforts to test incentives that make participation in work or other community engagement a requirement for continued Medicaid eligibility or coverage for certain adult Medicaid beneficiaries in demonstration projects authorized under section 1115 of the Social Security Act," the agency states.

The agency suggests that community engagement and feeling productive at work can promote wellness, and having a higher income is positively associated with a longer lifespan. Other studies find that unemployment is related to poorer health, higher mortality, poorer mental health, and higher hospital admission rates.

More here