Administration publishes new rules for Medicaid work requirements

Link copied by Joseph Choi and Nathaniel Weixel - 06/02/26 7:14 PM ET Link copied Presented by Planned Parenthood{beacon} View Online The Trump administration late Monday published new rules that tell states how to set up Medicaid work requirements. Associated Press/Julia Demaree Nikhinson GOP lawmakers and administration officials have described the policy as a way to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicaid program, but Democrats and many health policy experts say millions of people will lose coverage without a meaningful increase in the number of people employed. The rules require people to prove they are working, volunteering, attending school or participating in a qualifying job-training program for 80 hours per month to keep their coverage. There are several categories of exemptions, but the one that s worrying experts and patient advocates the most is a stricter definition of medically frail. States will have some discretion to decide which medical conditions qualify, but the new rules implicitly link the definition of medical frailty to a person s ability to work. If your condition significantly impairs your ability to engage in work and the requirements, then you are likely not subject to the work requirements, said Dan Brillman, the Trump administration s Medicaid director. States had anticipated the rule would specify medical frailty broadly as someone whose condition would worsen if they did not have access to care. But the rules were much stricter. We do not believe it is reasonable to categorically consider conditions as serious or complex without factoring in criteria such as the severity of the condition, CMS wrote in the rule. The mantra we kept coming back to was that we re forgiving, but we re not foolish, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz told reporters on a call Monday. If we make it so easy to defraud [Medicaid] — that everyone feels that they re fooled for not defrauding it — that s not so good, he said. Welcome to The Hill s Health Care newsletter, we re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. A new all-access digital subscription from The Hill — launching July 2026. Join the waitlist to be among the first inside How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: WHO drastically reduces suspected ebola cases in Congo The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday significantly reduced the number of suspected Ebola cases in Congo after initially estimating nearly 1,000 suspected cases. The latest figures were shared at a hybrid press briefing attended by representatives from the WHO, the United Nations Population Fund International Organization on Migration, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Office of the High Commissioner … Oz sidesteps questions on Pulte s lack of intel background Dr. Mehmet Oz sidestepped questions on Tuesday about President Trump s appointment of Bill Pulte, the homebuilder and director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), to serve as acting head of the nation s intelligence services, saying he trusted the president s judgement. Oz, who serves as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, received multiple questions about Trump s move to appoint Pulte … Oz addresses questions about Trump s frequent visits to doctor: It s a routine, regular exam Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz on Tuesday sidestepped questions at the White House press briefing about why President Trump has had so many doctor visits during his second term, saying Trump s most recent trip was standard. Oz said he spoke with Trump about his visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last week and said it s just a routine, regular exam. I had the president … Congress is trying to permanently defund Planned Parenthood and block patients from using Medicaid for cancer screenings, wellness exams and more. Tell Congress to protect affordable care! Learn more Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Canada will require self-isolation for people traveling from Congo, Sudan and Uganda due to Ebola TORONTO (AP) — The Canadian government said Tuesday that travelers from Ebola-affected regions will be required to self-isolate for 21 days, and that immigration authorities are temporarily suspending decisions on applications from Congo, South Sudan and Uganda. Luc Brisebois, director-general for the Centre for Border and Travel Health … Local and state headlines on health care: Health news we ve flagged from other outlets: Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: Check out The Hill s Health Care page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here Privacy Policy | Manage Subscriptions | Unsubscribe 400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright 1

Administration publishes new rules for Medicaid work requirements

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