The Republican Party’s new budget package seeks to impose stricter work requirements on millions of Americans receiving Medicaid and food stamps, expanding these rules to people up to age 64.
Currently, able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) must meet work or training requirements to receive food stamps, but only up to age 54. The GOP plan raises this age limit to 64 and tightens regulations for beneficiaries. Similarly, the proposal would require Medicaid recipients aged 19 to 64 who are able-bodied and childless to prove ongoing work, volunteering, or educational enrollment to maintain coverage.
House Speaker Mike Johnson called the expanded work requirements “common sense” and said they would encourage recipients to seek employment while preventing program misuse. “There are millions of able-bodied workers right now on Medicaid who are not working and are taking advantage of the system,” Johnson told CBS News.
The proposal would add extensive reporting obligations, requiring millions of low-income Americans to verify their work or related activities to qualify for essential food and health benefits.
About two-thirds of Americans support work requirements for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Medicaid, according to a 2023 Axios poll. The concept originated under President Bill Clinton and has been tried in states like Arkansas and Georgia, with mixed results.
However, research indicates that work requirements often fail to increase employment among beneficiaries. A 2019 National Bureau of Economic Research study found that when Virginia reinstated food stamp work requirements, enrollment dropped by about 50% among affected individuals without a corresponding rise in jobs or income.
Experts warn that many recipients lose benefits due to administrative challenges or inability to meet work criteria, not because they secured employment. This pattern likely applies to Medicaid as well.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 18.5 million Medicaid recipients—roughly one in four—would be subject to the new work rules if the GOP package becomes law. Of these, nearly 5 million could lose coverage. The rules would be particularly strict, demanding proof of at least 80 hours of work, volunteering, or schooling per month, sometimes verified monthly for up to six consecutive months.
States administering Medicaid could block new applicants who don’t meet the work threshold and enforce ongoing verification.
Experience in Arkansas and Georgia highlights the policy’s drawbacks. Arkansas saw 18,000 adults lose Medicaid coverage shortly after enacting work requirements, with many reporting delayed care or medication due to cost. Employment rates did not improve. Georgia’s program, still active, has faced high administrative costs, enrollment shortfalls, and technical problems that complicate beneficiary compliance.
Advocates express concern about raising the age threshold to 64. Older adults often face age discrimination, chronic health conditions, or caregiving duties that limit their ability to work. Approximately 1 million Americans aged 55 to 64 could lose food stamps under the new SNAP rules.
“This policy risks removing essential support from older adults who are already vulnerable,” said Salaam Bhatti of the Food Research & Action Center.
AARP has also opposed the expansion, warning it could cost people coverage due to missed deadlines or difficulty navigating the system, rather than actual ineligibility. AARP President Nancy LeaMond highlighted the increased challenges older adults face in the workforce, including longer unemployment and health issues.
The GOP budget passed the House narrowly, with only Republican votes, and is now under review in the Senate Finance and Agriculture Committees. While some provisions may be adjusted, work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP remain key features.
Critics argue that instead of helping beneficiaries find jobs, the expanded work rules will lead to widespread loss of vital health care and food assistance for vulnerable Americans.
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