Many policymakers in Washington, D.C. are again talking about imposing work requirements on the Medicaid population.  Limited work requirements were imposed during the late 2010s in some states, although many were overturned by the courts.

But as policymakers consider such requirements again, a natural question is what kind of difference work requirements might make.

According to recent data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, not as great a difference as many might suspect.

According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation analysis,

In 2023, most Medicaid adults under age 65 were working (Figure 1). Among adults under age 65 with Medicaid who do not receive benefits from the Social Security disability programs, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and who are not also covered by Medicare (referred to hereafter as “Medicaid adults”), 92% were working full or part-time (64%), or not working due to caregiving responsibilities, illness or disability, or school attendance. The remaining 8% of Medicaid adults reported that they are retired, unable to find work, or were not working for another reason.

Those who were not working cited the following reasons for not being employed:

  • school attendance
  • illness or disability
  • caregiving responsibilities
  • retirement, inability to find work, or other reasons

Those working only part-time reported the following reasons for their limited employment:

  • could only find part-time work
  • health/medical limitations
  • slack work/business conditions
  • other family/personal obligations
  • school/training
  • child care problems
  • other reasons

Learn more about the population that stands to be most affected by Medicaid work requirements from KFF report “Understanding the Intersection of Medicaid and Work: An Update.”