WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 17, 2023) – A proposal unveiled by House leadership today would threaten adequate, accessible and affordable healthcare. The nation’s leading health groups issued the following statement:

“Our organizations urge Congress to reject adding a ‘work requirement’ policy to the Medicaid program, recognizing this policy is a thinly veiled effort aimed at cutting and further restricting access to quality and affordable healthcare for millions of Americans.

“Our organizations represent more than one hundred million Americans living with serious, acute and chronic health conditions, including tens of millions who rely on Medicaid as their primary source of healthcare coverage. Many of our organizations have previously urged opposition to these policies, emphasizing that they do nothing more than result in significantly worsened health outcomes. If enacted, work requirements would also increase uncompensated care, further jeopardizing the financial stability of hospitals on which our patients rely and are the largest employers in many communities.

“To be clear: these requirements are not about work, they are about paperwork. In 2018, Arkansas imposed this paperwork requirement on people enrolled in Medicaid. Before a federal court halted the state’s efforts, thousands of individuals who were otherwise eligible for Medicaid lost their healthcare due to the onerous paperwork requirements, additional bureaucracy and red tape. An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office found that if a policy similar to the one tried in Arkansas was to be implemented nationwide, more than two million people would lose their coverage.

“Our organizations strongly oppose any policies that jeopardize coverage in the Medicaid program. We remain united in our work to protect Medicaid and the quality healthcare it provides and urge Congress to reject adding any additional barriers.”