'Christmas came early': Medicaid administrator celebrates new work requirements

The Trump administration has approved plans in Maine and Michigan that would require certain Medicaid enrollees work as a condition of staying enrolled in the program.

"Christmas came early for these Governors & we are proud to support local innovation all across this great country!" tweeted Seema Verma, the administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, of the proposals she approved.

CMS approved the requests from the states on Friday, just a couple of weeks before each state is set to have a Democratic governor sworn into office. The request to add work requirements to Medicaid came under the current Republican governors in each state, and they're opposed by Democrats.

Under the plan, poor people will need to work, volunteer, or take classes at least 80 hours a month to continue receiving Medicaid coverage, which is paid for by the government. People undergoing treatment for addiction and for caregivers, among other groups, are exempt from the requirements.

Maine and Michigan join five other states with similar plans, including Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. Several other states have applied to join that list, including Virginia.

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