Michigan Medicaid Work Requirement Signed into Law

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Friday signed legislation that would require able-bodied adults aged 19 to 62 to work or participate in training or community service an average 80 hours per month to continue qualifying for Medicaid under the Healthy Michigan program. The state still must receive a waiver from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to implement the requirements, slated to begin in 2020. In a statement when the bill passed the legislature, Michigan Health & Hospital Association CEO Brian Peters said, “While the MHA appreciates the value and honor individuals get from employment, we are disappointed to see appropriate health care access conflated with workforce development. We do recognize that the work requirements contained in the approved version of the bill are less stringent than those adopted by other states and less stringent than the initial Senate-passed version. We thank the Governor and lawmakers for listening to our concerns during their deliberations, as reflected in the final version.”