Chairman Guthrie Supports CMS Rulemaking on Commonsense Medicaid Community Engagement Requirements
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement in response to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Interim Final Rule requiring able-bodied adult Medicaid recipients to meet an 80-hour monthly work requirement, through employment, education, work programs, or community service, as a condition of Medicaid eligibility enacted in H.R. 1.
“Last year, Republicans fought tirelessly to enact policies that strengthen, secure, and sustain our Medicaid program for Americans most in need. Commonsense community engagement requirements that establish an expectation for able-bodied Americans to either work, volunteer, further their education, or act as a caregiver in order to receive free Medicaid benefits is the right thing to do and is something the majority of Americans support in order to protect the programs intended to serve our most vulnerable,” said Chairman Guthrie.
“These commonsense community engagement requirements enacted under the Working Families Tax Cuts aren’t a punishment; they’re a path to prosperity. Not only do these requirements protect taxpayers, but they actively help to lift Americans out of poverty and stay connected to their communities. We look forward to seeing how this policy uplifts Americans and safeguards our critical safety net programs for generations to come.”
BACKGROUND:
- On June 1, CMS released an Interim Final Rule with Comment Period (IFC) requiring that certain adult Medicaid applicants and enrollees must, as a condition of Medicaid eligibility, meet an 80 hours per month work requirement, through employment, education, work programs, or community service.
- The rule establishes the standards states must use to implement the statutory work requirements, including clear expectations for eligibility determinations, exemptions, verification, and state reporting requirements.
- The rule reflects extensive coordination with states and builds on CMS’ ongoing work to modernize eligibility systems and improve beneficiary interactions with states, while improving accountability.
- A new brief released by the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation shows that Medicaid work requirements are estimated to reduce poverty by incentivizing employment.
- The brief states that work requirements have the ability to lift nearly 3 million Americans out of poverty.
