CMS approves first Medicaid waiver with work requirement

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today approved a Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver for Kentucky that will require some adult beneficiaries to work or participate in other “community engagement” activities, such as job training or community service, to remain eligible for coverage. CMS yesterday issued policy guidance for states proposing demonstration projects that require or encourage working-aged Medicaid beneficiaries who are not pregnant or disabled to participate in work or other “community engagement” activities. Nine other states have submitted proposals to date that include community engagement initiatives: Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin.