The center analyzed preliminary data from Arkansas, where state officials began implementing work requirements last year. Under the requirements, beneficiaries must work, attend school, volunteer or search for jobs at least 80 hours each month. If they fail to report the work appropriately to the state, they’re blocked out of Medicaid until the next year.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, more than 18,000 Arkansas Medicaid members have lost coverage since the work requirements were enacted. Only about 2,000 of those members have reapplied for Medicaid this year after losing coverage.
While state and federal officials argue the low re-enrollment rate could mean Medicaid beneficiaries who lost coverage have gotten jobs with health insurance, no data is available to support the claim. Instead, Arkansas data released March 15 show few recipients who lost Medicaid coverage gained employment. Of the 18,164 beneficiaries who lost coverage in 2018 due to work requirements, 1,981 appear in the state’s new-hire database.
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