Two senior Democratic lawmakers urged the Trump administration to postpone the Medicaid work‑requirement rule set to take effect on January 1.
In a letter released Thursday, House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone Jr. and Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden asked CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz to use his discretion to give states more time.
The rule, part of the 2025 “big, beautiful” law, requires Medicaid enrollees ages 19‑65 to meet a 80‑hour monthly work or community‑service threshold, with exemptions for pregnant people, parents, those with complex medical conditions, and others.
A federal judge has paused the implementation of the medically frail definition, making it harder for states to enforce the requirement once it begins.
Pallone and Wyden also urged Oz to approve any good‑faith exemptions states have submitted and to reconsider the narrow definition of medically frail.
They noted that the Congressional Budget Office projects 10 million people could lose health coverage under the broader law, and West Virginia officials expect about 40,000 of its 160,000 Medicaid enrollees to be affected starting in January.
Source: newhampshirebulletin.com
