The Trump administration early this year started allowing states to require that their Medicaid beneficiaries work and, to date, 11 states have applied for waivers to set such work rules. Medicaid work requirements could promote “better mental, physical and emotional health” and “help individuals and families rise out of poverty and attain independence,” Brian Neale, a top Medicaid official for the administration who has since left his post, wrote in a letter to state directors of the health program. But two new studies published today in JAMA Internal Medicine question the effectiveness of and rationale for such work requirements, finding that the vast majority of Medicaid recipients already work or would be exempt for reasons such as pregnancy or disability. Because only a small number of beneficiaries would be affected, budgetary savings through any reduction in the rolls would be minimal. (Nicky Mehtani, ABC News)
