Congress moves to strip Medicaid from millions of working-age adults
S. 447 — Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act · Filed by John Kennedy (R-LA) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Feb 6, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends Medicaid law to require able-bodied adults (ages 18–65, not pregnant, not primary caregivers of young children, not medically unfit) to work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week to receive Medicaid coverage, effective January 1, 2026. States must deny medical assistance to those who do not meet this requirement in any given month.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is to impose a work/volunteer requirement as a condition of Medicaid eligibility for able-bodied adults. It is a straightforward policy change, not a hidden rider or carve-out.
What the text implies
- States must establish verification systems to track work/volunteer hours monthly, creating administrative burden and potential for coverage gaps due to documentation failures rather than actual ineligibility.
- The 20-hour threshold may exclude part-time workers, gig workers, and those with irregular schedules who cannot consistently document hours, even if they are employed.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
state governments (reduced Medicaid expenditures); health insurance companies (reduced Medicaid enrollment pressure)