Republican legislators in Wisconsin voted to enact a work requirement for some Medicaid beneficiaries as Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers mulls ending the policy, according to The Cap Times.
CMS approved Wisconsin's Section 1115 waiver to implement new work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries Oct. 31. The waiver allows the state to require childless adults between the ages of 19 and 49 to participate in at least 80 hours of work or community engagement each month to maintain Medicaid coverage, with certain exceptions. More than 178,000 beneficiaries could be subject to the rule.
In a lame-duck session late Dec. 4 and early Dec. 5, the Wisconsin Assembly approved the legislation. The state Senate passed the bill.
In addition to enacting the work requirements, the bill codifies a plan by Republican Gov. Scott Walker to instate a reinsurance pool in Wisconsin, which gained approval from the Trump administration in July. The program aims to lower premium costs for state residents who buy individual coverage on the ACA exchanges but do not qualify for federal subsidies.
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