Medicaid Work Requirements – Legally Suspect

Executive Summary

Legal Director Jane Perkins, and Policy Analyst Ian McDonald detail why adding a work requirement to Medicaid is “legally suspect.” They explain that currently the Medicaid Act has four requirements that an individual must meet that do not include a mandatory work requirement. “A number of courts,” Perkins and McDonald write, “have recognized that states may not ‘add additional requirements for Medicaid eligibility’ that are not set forth in the Medicaid Act.” They also note that the purpose of Medicaid is to “furnish medical assistance to low-income individuals who cannot afford the costs of medically necessary services and to furnish ‘rehabilitation and other services to help [such individuals] attain or retain capability for independence or self-care. A mandatory work requirement is not medical assistance; it is not a service provided to Medicaid beneficiaries.”