FGA Statement on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Revoking Work Requirements
- BY FGA
Naples, FL—The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that they are revoking the previous approval of work requirements for able-bodied adults on Medicaid in Ohio, Utah, and South Carolina. The yanked approvals previously allowed a requirement that able-bodied Medicaid enrollees in the state must work, train, or volunteer part-time.
With a record 10 million open jobs across America, this reversal of the Trump administration’s previous approval further derails efforts to mitigate the country’s labor shortage and preserve Medicaid funds for the truly needy. It also makes clear that states that chose to expand Medicaid to able-bodied adults under the false promise of federal “flexibility” should reconsider that decision immediately. The bait-and-switch is complete—work requirements are gone, but Medicaid expansion remains.
“It’s especially frustrating that, in the middle of a serious worker shortage we can all feel and see every day, the Biden administration would choose this moment to escalate its war on work,” said Scott Centorino, Senior Fellow at FGA.
“This was an opportunity for the Biden administration to do what they promised to do: use a bipartisan, practical, problem-solving approach to a real problem for real Americans,” Centorino said. “We know work requirements help people get off welfare, back to work, and earning income—but instead of lifting up millions, Biden has doubled down on dependency.”
“For state leaders now, if they want more workers, less welfare, and a stronger safety net for the truly needy, they need to focus on taking the handcuffs off their Medicaid programs and establishing pro-work food stamp reforms that don’t require approval from Washington,” Centorino said.
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The Foundation for Government Accountability is a non-profit, multi-state think tank that specializes in health care, welfare, and work reform. To learn more, visit TheFGA.org
