Ohio lawmakers are considering a measure encouraging the federal government to reinstate work requirements for Medicaid recipients younger than 55.
Proponents say such a mandate could help the state fill tens of thousands of open jobs. Critics say it would force thousands off insurance and increase costs.
In late March, the Ohio Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 5; it is now pending before the state House.
“Senate Concurrent Resolution 5 is a simple message that the Ohio General Assembly can send to the new administration,” Ohio Sen. Kyle Koehler, R-Springfield, said in prepared sponsor testimony. “The message is that members of the 136th General Assembly support reinstating work requirements for able-bodied adults, under the age of 55.
“...I believe just as we are helping these folks get the healthcare they need, we also need to be helping them get the work or training they need to rejoin the workforce and help fill some of the 150,000 jobs currently listed on the OhioMeansJobs website,” Koehler added. “We are doing these individuals a disservice by providing healthcare services without asking them for at least a minimum of 80 hours of employment, education, or job skills training as a condition of continued Medicaid eligibility.”
Under Republican Gov. John Kasich, Ohio expanded Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act. Lawmakers have frequently included a statutory requirement in the state’s operating budget for the governor to request a reinstatement of work requirements for the Medicaid expansion population.
On Feb. 28, the Ohio Department of Medicaid formally submitted the waiver application to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran said in written testimony to the Ohio House Medicaid Committee. The waiver has passed the completeness review, and the federal public comment period closed on April 7.
Corcoran said the application is in the review and negotiation period before formal approval. If approved as submitted, the waiver’s first demonstration year will begin on Jan. 1, 2026.
According to Koehler, the Ohio Department of Medicaid estimates that in 2026, a maximum of 61,826 people will be considered exempt.
Melissa Cropper, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, said in prepared testimony to the Ohio House Medicaid Committee that 92% of adults under 65 on Medicaid are working or unable to work due to caregiving, disability, or school.
“We have seen that when work requirements are implemented, we see a reduction in coverage without an increase in employment,” Cropper told lawmakers.
“...Work requirements will force people off of Medicaid because of bureaucratic red tape, which will increase administrative costs for Ohio, all while not expanding the work force because most people on Medicaid who are able to work already are,” Cropper added. “Our members work with families, individuals, and children who would needlessly struggle if Medicaid work requirements were enacted.”
The Buckeye Institute, an independent think tank that advances free-market public policy, found that implementing Medicaid work requirements can raise the number of hours worked per week by more than half a full-time work week and above the typical 20 hours per week requirement.
“As individuals work more, they gain experience and that experience translates into higher wages and even more hours worked, leading up to full-time employment,” Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, said in prepared testimony to the Ohio House Medicaid Committee.
“With single, able-bodied individuals with no dependents on Medicaid averaging approximately 11 hours of work per week, the 22- to 25-hour increase in work hours confirms that individuals would tend towards full-time work if required to work at least 20 hours per week,” Lawson added. “This can raise lifetime earnings by hundreds of thousands of dollars or more if a Medicaid enrollee transitions off Medicaid into private coverage.”
