Governor Signs Medicaid Work Requirement

Liz Gullett

Jun 29, 2018

Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation into law creating a work requirement for certain recipients of the Healthy Michigan Program. “Signed into law in 2013, the program expanded the pool of residents eligible for Medicaid and includes those with an income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level. The state requested and received a Federal waiver for the changes after this change was signed into law,” explained Tony Des Chenes of MLC.

Under the requirements, program beneficiaries will be required to have at least 80 hours per month at one of the following:

A part-time job
A postsecondary educational institution or high school equivalency test training
A job training program
Volunteer work or community service
An internship
Substance abuse treatment

The law provides for exemptions for anyone 63 or older, disabled persons, pregnant women, full-time students, children, a parent of a dependent child younger than age 6, a recipient of unemployment benefits, and anyone under age 21 who had previously been in foster care.

Since Medicaid is administered by the federal government, any changes must receive federal approval. With Michigan’s current waiver for Healthy Michigan set to expire at the end of 2018, Governor Snyder met earlier this year with federal officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to review the anticipated changes that have now been signed into law.

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