Healthcare Dive

By: Rebecca Pifer

Though the Trump administration heralds work requirements as a key to lift low-income Americans out of poverty, critics warn they will drop the most vulnerable from a safety net program meant to ensure access to care… According to a January report from the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute’s Center for Children and Families, households headed by women, African-American families and those living in rural areas are disproportionately likely to be harmed by South Carolina’s waiver. Additionally, though being the primary caregiver of a child under 18 does exempt a Medicaid beneficiary from the work requirements, parents are not automatically exempted: they have to report their status and be granted an exemption. “This is key,” Georgetown CCF’s Joan Alker wrote in a Thursday blog post, noting that in Arkansas, which required individuals to self-report their exempt status, saw a coverage loss ratio of more than 75%.

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