Lawsuit Aims To Stop Medicaid Work Requirement

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Michigan lawmakers are being asked to put the brakes on the implementation of work requirements for Healthy Michigan enrollees. A coalition of healthcare and anti-poverty organizations filed a lawsuit last week challenging the Trump administration’s approval of the state’s Medicaid waiver project, which allows Michigan to begin work requirements for able-bodied Healthy Michigan enrollees on January 1. Health Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy Amber Bellazaire says Medicaid is a supportive health program that should not be altered in a way that makes it punitive or ineffective.

“The primary concern as it relates to work requirements is that folks are really already working and potentially have very legitimate reasons for why they are not working, and this just adds an additional barrier, mainly in administrative reporting, that is not necessary.”

The lawsuit claims the approval of the work requirements is illegal and should be blocked. The defendants in the lawsuit, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have not commented. However, instead of waiting for the courts to decide and risking coverage losses, Bellazaire says state lawmakers should stop the work requirements before they start.