(The Center Square) – Ohioans relying on Medicaid for health care could soon be required to work for their coverage.
As expected, the state recently asked the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for a waiver to reinstate a work requirement for individuals receiving Medicaid expansion benefits.
“As part of our work to empower people reach their full potential, we have a responsibility to make sure as many Ohioans as possible are on a pathway toward financial independence,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “Reinstating our work requirement will promote self-sufficiency, it will give more people the purpose and pride that comes with a job, and it will improve the well-being of Ohio’s workforce.”
After former Gov. John Kasich extended Medicaid coverage in 2013, single people with a maximum annual income of $20,783 qualified for Medicaid. The maximum income for a family of four is a little more than $43,000.
As of a year ago, nearly 3 million people in Ohio receive Medicaid coverage from a network of about 165,000 health care providers.
In 2024, the state spent $38.9 million on Medicaid from state and federal tax dollars.
Georgia is the only state with a Medicaid work requirement.
Ohio’s plan would require expansion enrollees to be at least 55 years old or employed, enrolled in a school or job training program, in a recovery program, or have a serious physical or mental health illness to receive benefits.
Ohio asked for and received a waiver from the first Trump Administration in 2019, but the Biden administration revoked the approval in 2020.
Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran believes working improves health and pointed out that the state’s unemployment website lists more than 150,000 jobs with salaries of more than $50,000 annually.
“We are dedicated to delivering high-quality healthcare to millions of Ohioans every day, empowering them to take control of their own health,” Corcoran said. “By encouraging them to seek employment, we not only enhance their quality of life but also contribute to healthier communities and a thriving economy in Ohio.”
Opponents have said the new requirement could lead to as many as 450,000 people in the state losing coverage, citing a report from the Center for Community Solutions.
The state’s Democratic congressional delegation recently sent a letter to DeWine opposing the work requirement.
“Stringent requirements will not only lead to coverage loss for people who need healthcare the most but also increase hardship for those already struggling to make ends meet. Further, work requirements will increase administrative and reporting burdens on ODM, shunting already limited resources away from providing quality care to recipients,” the letter from U.S. Reps. Shontel Brown, Greg Landsman, Joyce Beatty and Emilia Strong Sykes said.
