The state has submitted its application to the federal government for permission to impose work requirements on 36,000 Ohio Medicaid recipients.
The plan requires Medicaid expansion enrollees to work 20 hours a week or be in a job search or education or training program. People over 50, in drug treatment, with serious health needs or who are parents or caregivers would be exempt. The state says most of the 709,000 people in Medicaid expansion are working or would be exempt, but estimates 18,000 people won’t comply with the requirements and will lose their coverage. The waiver application was required by the current state budget, though the state had been denied permission to impose work requirements under the Obama administration. While 93 percent of those who submitted comment to the state about the waiver oppose it, President Trump has signaled that his administration is likely to approve the waiver, and the state wants to start the requirements on July 1.
