Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The bill amends title XIX of the Social Security Act to require States to deny Medicaid coverage beginning January 1, 2026, for any "able-bodied adult" who does not meet a monthly work requirement. The requirement is 20 or more hours per week (monthly average) of paid work or volunteer service.
Liberals emphasize coverage loss and public-health harms.
Controversial policy likely to split along ideological lines; simpler statutory change aids passage if majority supports it.
The bill amends title XIX of the Social Security Act to require States to deny Medicaid coverage beginning January 1, 2026, for any "able-bodied adult" who does not meet a monthly work requirement.
The requirement is 20 or more hours per week (monthly average) of paid work or volunteer service.
The bill defines "able-bodied adult" and lists exemptions (under 18, over 65, medically unfit, pregnant, primary caregiver of a child under 6, caregiver of a seriously ill or disabled child as determined by the State, receiving unemployment benefits, or in substance use treatment).
Substantive, high-salience change to Medicaid with legal and administrative gaps; passage depends on overcoming strong political and procedural hurdles.
How solid the drafting looks.
Liberals emphasize coverage loss and public-health harms.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Liberals emphasize coverage loss and public-health harms.
Likely broadly opposed.
Advocates would view the law as a barrier to health care access that disproportionately harms low-income people and worsens public health.
They would note the requirement will cause coverage loss and administrative churn, while benefits are speculative.
Mixed view.
Supports goals of promoting work and reducing long-term dependency in principle, but worries about implementation, paperwork costs, and unintended loss of coverage.
Would condition support on evidence, funding, and safeguards.
Generally favorable.
Sees the bill as promoting personal responsibility, reducing dependency, and protecting taxpayers.
May still prefer more state flexibility or stricter enforcement, but supportive of a national standard.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Substantive, high-salience change to Medicaid with legal and administrative gaps; passage depends on overcoming strong political and procedural hurdles.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Liberals emphasize coverage loss and public-health harms.
Substantive, high-salience change to Medicaid with legal and administrative gaps; passage depends on overcoming strong political and proced…
Pro readers get the full perspective split, passage barriers, legislative design review, stakeholder impact map, and lens-based policy tradeoff analysis for Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act.
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