Trump 'shows an openness' to Medicaid work requirements, committee chair says

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

May 4, 2025 12:57 PM EDT Updated 2 hours ago


WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump "shows an openness" to work requirements for Medicaid, Jason Smith, chair of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, said on Fox News Sunday, as lawmakers try to agree on spending cuts to partly offset the cost of a sweeping tax-cut bill. Congressional Republicans are weighing steep cuts to Medicaid in their efforts to piece together a landmark tax-cut bill they hope to enact by July 4.

Medicaid provides healthcare coverage to 83 million low-income people and is jointly funded by the federal government and states. One option with broad Republican support is to require a minimum work requirement for adult recipients. "The president has been very clear he does not want to cut benefits for individuals on Medicaid and Medicare. He wants to create efficiencies and reforms. He shows an openness to work requirements," Smith said on Sunday.

Medicaid is on the list of programs House Republicans who advocate deep spending cuts are eyeing as they seek a way to reduce federal spending by as much as $2 trillion over the next decade. The cuts would help cover the cost of extending Trump's 2017 tax cuts in a bill that nonpartisan analysts say could add $5.8 trillion to the nation's $36 trillion in debt over the next decade.

There are deep divisions among congressional Republicans about how to proceed on Medicaid. Most adults on Medicaid work full- or part-time, and most who do not are full-time caregivers or disabled, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/trump-shows-an-openness-medicaid-work-requirements-committee-chair-says-2025-05-04/

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To reiterate from the OP excerpt -

Most adults on Medicaid work full- or part-time, and most who do not are full-time caregivers or disabled, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

[JBTaurus83]

1. Okay

So based on the article, most already work. I’m not sure what putting it in writing really changes. It sounds like some empty platitude just to make some right wing people happy but really accomplishes nothing.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. The GOP has made it one of their primary campaign "talking points"

as "fraud" (which also includes the repeal of the ACA), along with nonsense about "open borders", and more recently "DEI" and a need to cancel it all.

They have no "blueprints" for, nor even "concepts" of, any plan for "governing". They basically function on whining about what they perceive as "problems" and being against something.

[Silent Type]

2. All citizens should be covered universally. Fortuantely, there are some exceptions to state Medicaid work requirements.

For example, Georgia's Medicaid Pathways to Coverage has exceptions to the work requirement, including:

--Individuals with disabilities,
--pregnant women,
--Those deemed medically frail, and
--Caregivers for young children or family members with disabilities.
--Some Georgia residents, like eligible veterans and full-time parents of young children, may also be eligible.

Otherwise, Georgia's Medicaid program requires participants to complete at least 80 hours of qualifying activities (work, volunteering, higher education) per month.

To be eligible for Pathways to Coverage, individuals must generally be Georgia residents, U.S. citizens or legal non-citizens, between 19 and 64 years old, with a household income up to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level, and not qualify for other Medicaid programs, according to Georgia Pathways to Coverage.
-----------------------

Until Congress gets off its rears and enacts universal coverage, the "work" criteria needs to be applied fairly and terms like "disability" should not be restrictive.

[cstanleytech]

5. I wouldn't object to a caregiver amendment though.

But one designed that provides a free caregiver for the person at home and or transportation for the person that they are caring for to a free adult care facility for the time that they are working. Plus a bonus where they earn an hour off for every 2 to 4 hours that they work. So say they work and save up 8 hours, they then get that free care thing and they get 8 hours to do whatever they want. In other words a real day off. It has to be done though by a case-by-case basis and carefully considered before requiring a person to do it.
Of course what I would love to see would be universal health care that's free, free childcare and free assistance for caregivers bur the Republicans don't have the common sense to support that.

[AllyCat]

7. Fairly as in none of it. None of it is fair.

We can make all the conditions and supports we want, but it is unjust.

[cstanleytech]

4. Depending on how it's setup I could see it but it has to reasonable.

It should also include free childcare as well as free transportation to and from the job.

[AllyCat]

6. Work requirements??? Many of these people can't work!

And where will they get jobs in Krasnov’s $hitty economy?

[SunSeeker]

8. A work requirement is just a cynical way to deny benefits.

The rules will be created so as to make it ridiculously hard to show you are employed or actively seeking employment and will cause people to simply give up.

I have a brother who is almost illiterate (never graduated high school) and works as a handyman taking odd jobs. It will be really hard for him to prove he's employed. He is too young for Medicare and too old to get a traditional job that generates a pay stub. The ACA gave him the first health insurance he had his entire adult life.

[Blackjackdavey]

9. Work requirements are propaganda

The way it works in New York (there are already work requirements for public assistance, work requirement talk is just propaganda for the people who don't know how shit works so believe Maga is finally addressing the "moochers" ) is they a) show they are looking for work by simply listing what jobs they applied for this week b) get a doctor's note/assessment documenting a disability c) work. You also need a substance abuse assessment and to attend work prep classes if you don't have a disability. One won't be getting public assistance if they have a substance problem and don't follow treatment recommendations. It is true that those requirements are a burden and can be interpreted as a means to slow down or deter applicants. It is also true that there are numerous people who have dubious disabilities, that's a fact, not worth debating really. There are a whole host of methods that states, counties and municipalities can use to make the methods cruel and unusual but there are also methods by which it can be meaningful in some way. Honestly, if there is a state out there that doesn't have some sort of "work requirement" system right now that truly would be untenable. It would be out of control really. Which Is ofc why most probably already do. That is for public assistance. Now, for Medicaid, substance abuse and mental illness is where it all breaks down, you can't get treatment without Medicaid if you don't have income and for many you can't get started with work without treatment. Which is why this particular plan will never work as they intend and probably won't fly.

[slightlv]

10. Absolutely this is all propaganda! They simply

can't break out of the delusion... brainwashed into all republicans... that anyone receiving "help" from the government is nothing more than a mooch and/or a criminal. I'm sick to death of it. It's been that way for my entire adulthood, but even before reaching the age of majority, I already knew it was bunk. I just don't understand how so many people can fall for the line, after seeing with their own eyes that it's not true. That goes especially for those who are taking "handouts," themselves. It's always "okay for me" but never okay for anyone deemed lower on the pecking ladder, women, or POC. This is one of those messages that we need to finally (and once and for all) fight with every ounce of our being... no matter how ludicrous we think it is. No more of the wishy-washy answers of technical responses; we need to make it as broadly general and in-your-face as the magas do with any of their messages. Hopefully it would get through to some of those magas that might still have an ounce of reason or shame left in their body.

[Figarosmom]

11. These people dont even know the

Last edited Mon May 5, 2025, 11:19 AM - Edit history (1)

Program. It already does have work requirements for those without children who are not disabled. So much of what they end up doing is redundant because to wind up their base they lie to them about different programs like this that people are getting medicaid that are perfectly healthy with no kids. So then to look like they did something about it we get useless legislation.

Oh well. I guess it's better than them really cutting it or something. Pass a law that's redundant then.

[MichMan]

15. If it is already a requirement, then why all the angst ?

[Rebl2]

12. My mother

had Medicaid in her early nineties. She also had dementia. I do not see how she could have worked.

[Demobrat]

13. Work where?

I know a couple of people on Medicaid. They are both in their fifties and in and out of low wage jobs. They are always looking, but not many are hiring low skilled people that age.

[MichMan]

14. Every requirement I've ever seen mentioned counts volunteering or training as qualifying

Are there no available volunteer opportunities?

[LudwigPastorius]

16. So, if you're over 65, blind, disabled, pregnant, or a child, and on Medicaid,...

get out there and get a job you fucking loser! /s