Medicaid work requirements have been removed from the debt ceiling deal between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The proposal, which would have required Medicaid beneficiaries to work or participate in certain activities, was omitted from the agreement. President Biden had stated his opposition to work requirements that impact healthcare. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the proposal would result in 600,000 people losing coverage and save $109 billion over 10 years, with minimal impact on employment.
Medicaid work requirements have been eliminated from the debt ceiling agreement reached between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, according to a report by The New York Times on May 29.
In April, House Republicans included work requirements in a bill aimed at raising the debt ceiling through the next year. The proposed legislation would have mandated that Medicaid beneficiaries aged 19 to 56 work, volunteer, or participate in a work program for a minimum of 80 hours per month, or engage in a combination of these activities. Pregnant women, parents, caretakers, and others declared medically unfit to work due to their physical or mental condition were exempt from this rule. The proposal allowed states to maintain coverage for beneficiaries who did not comply with the work requirements, but these states would have been solely responsible for covering the costs of their enrollment.
President Biden had expressed his opposition to work requirements that impact people’s access to healthcare as part of any deal to raise the debt ceiling.
According to NBC News, on May 28, the House of Representatives is anticipated to vote on the accord following the end of trading on May 30.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Medicaid work requirement proposal was projected to result in around 600,000 individuals losing their coverage and save the federal government approximately $109 billion over 10 years. Additionally, the office stated that the proposal would have “a negligible effect on employment status or hours worked by people who would be subject to the work requirements.”