Medicaid coverage now tied to 80-hour work requirement—or lose benefits

What it does

This bill adds a 'community engagement requirement' to Medicaid, requiring non-exempt adults to work, perform community service, or participate in work programs for at least 80 hours per month to maintain coverage. States can disenroll individuals who fail to meet this requirement for 3+ months, and the federal government will not reimburse states for medical assistance to non-compliant individuals.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core mechanism is a conditional eligibility rule: Medicaid coverage becomes contingent on documented work/community service activity. This is a work requirement, not a benefit expansion or public health measure. The mapped pharmaceutical and dialysis companies suggest regulatory exposure tied to Medicaid enrollment volatility.

What the text implies

• Verification burden falls on individuals; states prioritize 'existing databases' but individuals may still face administrative denials if records are incomplete or delayed, creating a de facto coverage gap.
• The 80-hour threshold (roughly 20 hours/week) may exclude part-time workers, gig workers, and those with irregular income, even if they earn above the federal minimum wage threshold.
• Disenrollment is automatic after 3 non-compliant months; re-enrollment requires re-application, creating churn that may discourage continuity of care and preventive treatment.
• States gain discretion to disenroll; variation in enforcement and verification standards across states may create disparate impact on vulnerable populations in less-resourced states.
• Pharmaceutical and dialysis companies (mapped stocks) may see reduced Medicaid utilization if coverage becomes unstable, particularly among chronically ill beneficiaries unable to meet work requirements.

Who it affects

Low-income Medicaid beneficiaries—particularly those with unstable employment, caregiving duties, or health barriers—face coverage loss if they cannot document 80 hours/month of qualifying activity. While exemptions exist for the elderly, disabled, pregnant, and caregivers, the verification burden and narrow definitions of 'work program' may exclude vulnerable populations. The bill shifts risk from states to individuals, potentially reducing coverage for those least able to navigate bureaucratic

Who stands to gain

• State Medicaid agencies (reduced federal reimbursement obligations)
• Employers (potential labor supply pressure if Medicaid beneficiaries forced into workforce)

Named in the bill

Social Security Act (Title XIX, Medicaid), Section 1903 (federal matching funds), Section 1905 (eligibility), Section 1902 (state plan amendments), Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, Higher Education Act of 1965, Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, National Change of Address Database (USPS), State health and human services agencies, Payroll databases, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY) — and 4 more

Where it stands

4 cosponsors: 4 Republicans.

• Feb 13, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Feb 13, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $3,010,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 77 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Aaron Bean, the sponsor, reported $1,227,650 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• America's Health Insurance Plans Inc (ahip) — $3,010,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.