Federal

Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act

Source: Congress.gov · 596 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill, called the "Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act," changes the rules for Medicaid (a health insurance program run by the government and states). Starting January 1, 2024, it requires able-bodied adults to meet a work requirement in order to receive Medicaid benefits. Adults must either work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week to stay enrolled.

Who It Affects

Able-bodied adults enrolled in state Medicaid programs. State agencies that administer Medicaid programs. People under 18 or over 65 are excluded from this requirement.

Key Provisions

• States cannot provide Medicaid coverage to able-bodied adults for any month in which they fail to meet the work requirement, beginning January 1, 2024. (Sec. 2) • An able-bodied adult satisfies the work requirement by either working 20 hours or more per week (based on monthly average) OR volunteering 20 hours or more per week (based on monthly average). (Sec. 2) • An "able-bodied adult" does NOT include people who are: under 18 or over 65 years old; medically certified as unfit for work; pregnant; the primary parent or caretaker of a child under 6 years old; the primary parent or caretaker of a child with a serious medical condition or disability; receiving unemployment benefits and following work requirements; or participating in drug or alcohol treatment and rehabilitation. (Sec. 2)

What Changes

If this bill becomes law, states must stop providing Medicaid benefits to able-bodied adults who do not work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week starting January 1, 2024. Medicaid rules will include this new work requirement.

Important Definitions

"Able-bodied adult" means any individual who is not in one of seven categories: under 18 or over 65; medically unfit for work; pregnant; a primary caretaker of a young or disabled child; receiving unemployment benefits; or in drug or alcohol treatment.

Effective Date

January 1, 2024

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1551 To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to implement a minimum work requirement for able-bodied adults enrolled in State Medicaid programs. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 10, 2023 Mr. LATURNER (for himself and Mrs. MILLER of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to implement a minimum work requirement for able-bodied adults en- rolled in State Medicaid programs. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Jobs and Opportunities 4 for Medicaid Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR ABLE-BODIED ADULTS. 6 Section 1902 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 7 1396a) is amended— 8 (1) in subsection (a)— 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1551.IH H1551 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1551 IH (A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para- 1 graph (86); 2 (B) by striking the period at the end of 3 paragraph (87) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 4 (C) by inserting after paragraph (87) the 5 following new paragraph: 6 ‘‘(88) beginning January 1, 2024, not provide 7 medical assistance with respect to a month to an 8 able-bodied adult (as defined in subsection (uu)(2)) 9 that has not met the work requirement described in 10 subsection (uu)(1) for such month.’’; and 11 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub- 12 section: 13 ‘‘(uu) WORK REQUIREMENT FOR ABLE-BODIED 14 ADULTS.— 15 ‘‘(1) WORK REQUIREMENT DESCRIBED.—For 16 purposes of subsection (a)(88), the work require- 17 ment described in this subsection with respect to an 18 able-bodied adult and a month is that such adult 19 satisfies at least one of the following with respect to 20 such month: 21 ‘‘(A) The adult works 20 hours or more 22 per week, based on a monthly average. 23 ‘‘(B) The adult volunteers for 20 hours or 24 more per week, based on a monthly average. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1551.IH H1551 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1551 IH ‘‘(2) ABLE-BODIED ADULT DEFINED.—In this 1 subsection the term ‘able-bodied adult’ means any 2 individual who is not— 3 ‘‘(A) under 18 years of age or over 65 4 years of age; 5 ‘‘(B) medically certified as physically or 6 mentally unfit for employment; 7 ‘‘(C) pregnant; 8 ‘‘(D) the primary parent or caretaker of a 9 dependent child under 6 years of age; 10 ‘‘(E) the primary parent or caretaker of a 11 dependent child with a serious medical condi- 12 tion or disability, as determined by the State 13 agency established or designated to administer 14 or supervise the administration of the State 15 plan; 16 ‘‘(F) receiving unemployment compensa- 17 tion under State or Federal law and, as applica- 18 ble, complying with work requirements under 19 such State or Federal law; or 20 ‘‘(G) participating in a drug or alcohol 21 treatment and rehabilitation program (as de- 22 fined in section 3(h) of the Food and Nutrition 23 Act of 2008).’’. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:28 Mar 24, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1551.IH H1551 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS

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