Maine seeks permission from the federal government to add work requirements to its Medicaid program, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Here are four things to know.
1. The work rules would apply to able-bodied adults who do not have dependents, according to the report.
2. The state is looking to its food stamp reform as a model for the proposed Medicaid changes, WSJ reports. According to Forbes, a preliminary state report revealed the number of able-bodied adults on food stamps declined from 16,000 in October 2014 to 4,500 by January 2015, after the state required able-bodied childless adults on food stamps to work, train or volunteer at least part-time.
3. By applying work rules to Medicaid, Maine aims to reduce enrollment, as well as increase incomes and focus on resources for children, senior citizens and the disabled, according to WSJ.
4. However, not everyone favors the proposal. Advocates for low-income individuals contend the work requirements may not be easy to comply with in rural areas where jobs, volunteer positions and transportation are not necessarily in abundance, reports WSJ.