FGA Commends Fallin Administration for Executive Order on Medicaid Work Requirements
- BY FGA
Naples, FL – The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) applauds Governor Mary Fallin for her efforts to incorporate work requirements in Medicaid, a reform that will move Oklahomans from welfare to work.
Earlier this week, Gov. Fallin issued an executive order directing the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to require able-bodied adults on Medicaid to work, train, or volunteer, pointing to past research that work requirements in other welfare programs have helped promote self-sufficiency. The executive order would bring Oklahoma’s Medicaid program in line with other welfare programs that already require able-bodied adults to meet the work requirement in order to maintain eligibility for benefits.
The direction comes as three states have had Medicaid work requirement waivers approved by the Trump administration, following new guidance at the beginning of the 2018 to further the objectives of the Medicaid program by promoting work.
The Oklahoma Legislature is currently considering a measure that would codify Medicaid work requirements into law. House Bill 2932, sponsored by Rep. Glen Mulready and Senator Adam Pugh, would strengthen the work requirement for able-bodied adults on Medicaid. The bill recently passed the House and is being considered in the Senate.
“We applaud the efforts of both the governor and the Oklahoma Legislature for their efforts to restore Medicaid to its original intention as a safety net for the truly needy through the implementation of work requirements,” said Tarren Bragdon, FGA President and CEO. “With this executive order, Oklahoma joins other states using this commonsense reform to lift citizens from dependency and empower them through work.”
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.
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