Ohioans relying on Medicaid for health care may soon be required to work for their benefits.
As expected, the state recently applied for a waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reinstate a work requirement for people receiving Medicaid expansion benefits.
“As part of our work to empower people reach their full potential, we have a responsibility to make sure as many Ohioans as possible are on a pathway toward financial independence,” said Mike DeWine, the state’s governor.
“Reinstating our work requirement will promote self-sufficiency, it will give more people the purpose and pride that comes with a job, and it will improve the well-being of Ohio’s workforce.”
After former Governor John Kasich expanded Medicaid coverage in 2013, single people with a maximum annual income of $20,783 became eligible. The maximum income for a family of four is slightly more than $43,000.
A year ago, nearly 3 million Ohio residents received Medicaid coverage from a network of approximately 165,000 health care providers.
In 2024, the state spent $38.9 million on Medicaid using state and federal tax dollars.
Georgia is the only state that has a Medicaid work requirement.
To receive benefits under Ohio’s plan, expansion enrollees must be at least 55 years old, employed, enrolled in a school or job training program, in a recovery program, or suffering from a serious physical or mental health illness.
Ohio requested and received a waiver from the first Trump administration in 2019, but the Biden administration reversed the decision in 2020.
Maureen Corcoran, Director of the Ohio Department of Medicaid, believes that working improves health and points out that the state’s unemployment website lists over 150,000 jobs paying more than $50,000 per year.
“We are dedicated to delivering high-quality healthcare to millions of Ohioans every day, empowering them to take control of their own health,” Corcoran told the crowd.
“By encouraging them to seek employment, we not only enhance their quality of life but also contribute to healthier communities and a thriving economy in Ohio.”
According to opponents, the new requirement could result in as many as 450,000 people in the state losing coverage, citing a Center for Community Solutions report.
The state’s Democratic congressional delegation recently wrote a letter to DeWine opposing the work requirement.
“Stringent requirements will not only result in coverage loss for those who require healthcare the most, but will also exacerbate hardship for those who are already struggling to make ends meet.
Furthermore, work requirements will increase ODM’s administrative and reporting burdens, diverting already limited resources away from providing quality care to recipients,” the letter from U.S. Reps. Shontel Brown, Greg Landsman, Joyce Beatty, and Emilia Strong Sykes stated.
