Ohio appeals federal rejection of Medicaid work requirement
Ohio will appeal a move by President Joe Biden’s administration to rescind federal approval of a work requirement that the state wants to use to determine Medicaid eligibility, Gov. Mike Dewine announced Thursday.
Attorney General Dave Yost filed a notice of appeal with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services just weeks after the agency withdrew its approval for the “community engagement” requirement. The measure would require all new adult group beneficiaries under 50 years old to complete 80 hours per month of employment, education or job skills training.
Federal officials approved Ohio’s requirement under former President Donald Trump in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented it from going into effect this year. Dewine and other Republicans say it’s necessary to encourage self-sufficiency and relieve the burden on taxpayers.
The state’s Medicaid department also advocated for the requirement to be kept in place.
“Removing a provision that says a healthy, able-bodied individual should be working, looking for work, participating in job training, or participating in a recovery program in order to receive free taxpayer-funded healthcare is contrary to Ohioans’ values,” Dewine said. “Eliminating reasonable requirements discourages people from becoming selfsufficient and only reinforces government dependency.”
Ohio estimated that more than 18,000 beneficiaries would lose Medicaid coverage under the requirement, although outside groups suggest that number could be even higher. The stateand federally-funded program provides health insurance for more than 3 million low-income and disabled Ohioans. Reporter Titus Wu contributed. Haley Bemiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other organizations.