Study shows Medicaid work requirements lead to employment and healthcare coverage losses

A new report finds there would be far-reaching economic harm if proposed national Medicaid work requirements were implemented.

This analysis is by the Commonwealth Fund and the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Lead Author, Dr. Leighton Ku, joined Eyewitness New live Friday morning to break down the main takeaways.

You can watch the full interview in the video player above.

Some Republicans, primarily, have said this is a good way to reduce federal and state expenditures and also promote employment.

If implemented, the analysis showed these policies could lead to the loss of health coverage for up to 5.2 million adults in 2026, eliminate as many as 449,000 jobs, and drain up to $59 billion from state economies in a single year.

Even though Texas has not expanded Medicaid, Dr. Ku said our state would still be impacted because it is surrounded by several other states that have. Dr. Ku also said Texas has the strictest Medicaid eligibility requirements.

Instead of tying work requirements to healthcare coverage, Dr. Ku said research shows that investing in employment and job readiness programs is more effective.

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