WASHINGTON, D. C. – A group of Democratic United States Congress members from Ohio are urging Gov. Mike DeWine to reject a proposal that would impose work requirements for Medicaid eligibility in Ohio.
They sent a letter urging DeWine to reconsider a waiver request submitted by the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) in December, “and instead focus on solutions that holistically support working families and those in need.”
“Stringent requirements will not only result in coverage loss for those who need it the most, but will also exacerbate hardship for those who are already struggling to make ends meet,” stated the letter signed by U.S. Representatives Shontel Brown of Warrensville Heights, Emilia Sykes of Akron, Greg Landsman of Cincinnati, and Joyce Beatty of Columbus.
According to the letter, the proposed work requirements would increase the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s administrative and reporting burdens, diverting its already limited resources away from providing quality care to those enrolled in the low-income health insurance program.
Medicaid is a massive program funded by both the state and federal governments. Ohio Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran told lawmakers during a budget hearing that the program would cost $48.1 billion in fiscal year 2026, with the state paying $14.7 billion of that total.
Currently, Ohio residents earning up to 138% of the federal poverty line are eligible to enroll. For a family of four, that equates to approximately $44,000 annually.
The work requirements waiver would primarily target Ohioans who gained Medicaid coverage as a result of former Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s 2013 decision to expand eligibility, with federal funds provided through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
According to state data, 770,793 Ohioans are covered under expanded Medicaid as of January 2025, out of a total of approximately 3 million participants in the program.
According to Amy Rohling McGee, president of the Health Policy Institute of Ohio, the majority of Medicaid expansion recipients work in low-wage industries such as service, low-skilled health care, or agriculture.
Prior to the expansion, Medicaid coverage was typically limited to children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities from low-income households.
The Republicans who control the United States House of Representatives are currently debating a budget proposal that would reduce Medicaid funding to states.
If the federal cuts amount to even a 1% decrease from the current figure, Ohio’s budget, as proposed by Gov. Mike DeWine, states that the Ohio Department of Medicaid “shall immediately discontinue all medical assistance for members of the [Medicaid expansion] group.” That proposal is still in its early stages and is not close to becoming law.
The proposed work requirements in Ohio would require adults under the age of 55 enrolled in Medicaid to demonstrate that they worked at least 20 hours per week or qualified for exemptions, such as having a serious mental illness, attending school, or participating in an addiction treatment program.
According to the Democrats’ letter, up to 450,000 Ohioans may lose coverage if the waiver requested by the Ohio Department of Medicaid in December is implemented.
It claims that limiting access to Medicaid “presents a significant risk to an already imperfect healthcare system,” as well as undermining Medicaid’s true purpose of providing health coverage to low-income individuals and families.
“Medicaid work requirements don’t work,” said Brown, who led the letter. “The facts are clear: the majority of Medicaid recipients are either already working or face significant barriers to employment.
Healthcare is not a privilege; it is a necessity, and for many people, it is the only thing that allows them to find and keep a job.”
