Trump final rule adds new Medicaid work requirements

The Trump administration on Monday issued a final rule implementing new work requirements for Medicaid, a major policy shift that will require many adult beneficiaries to prove they are employed, in school, or performing community service to maintain their health coverage. The rule, from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), provides states with the framework to carry out the requirements, which are scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1.

The policy was established last summer as part of a major tax and spending bill signed by President Donald Trump. It mandates that most adults aged 19 to 64 demonstrate work requirement activities totaling at least 80 hours per month. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz stated the rule promotes economic stability, self-sufficiency, and independence, and aims to move able-bodied enrollees to employer-sponsored health plans to free up space for the most vulnerable populations.

Several groups are exempt from the requirements, including pregnant women and those receiving postpartum care, parents and caretakers of young children or individuals with disabilities, people deemed medically frail, and American Indians and Alaska Natives. States will...