Threats to Medicaid Are Not New

Recent attacks on Medicaid have proposed a per capita cap on federal funding and potentially instituting block grants. While these are not new proposals, this would dramatically change federal and state Medicaid structures by shifting the cost and the risk directly to states. With more and more consumers relying on Medicaid, changes and cuts could leave millions without coverage nationally. Some states have begun the groundwork to reinstate work requirements. In 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved 13 Medicaid demonstration projects centered around work requirements as a condition of Medicaid eligibility. Previous research indicated that among enrollees who aren’t already working, nearly all have disabilities, serious health conditions, childcare or caretaking responsibilities, or are in school.