The first state to implement work requirements for certain Medicaid beneficiaries has seen thousands of residents lose healthcare coverage, the Arkansas Democrat reported. More than 4,500 Arkansans lost Medicaid on Sept. 1 after they failed to comply with the requirements and log hours worked in the state’s system.
To stay compliant with the requirements, which were rolled out in June, certain Medicaid beneficiaries between the ages of 30 and 49 must log 80 hours of work or volunteering and report it in the state’s system. Thousands were expected to lose their insurance after only several hundred people managed to meet the requirements in the first two months.
The new numbers come at a time when several other states are working to implement work requirements for their Medicaid programs and a few are awaiting approval on waivers to pursue policies.
In response to the work requirements, Arkansas is facing a lawsuit from a lobbying organization. A federal judge also blocked the policy from going into effect in Kentucky.
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Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."