Of those who lost Medicaid coverage as a result of the work requirement, 50% had increased problems paying off medical debt, 56% delayed medical care and 64% delayed taking medications. When the ACA opened the door for states to expand Medicaid, many sought to tie the expansion to a work requirement. Arkansas was one of the first states to do so in 2018, though a judge eventually blocked the requirement. Still, the short experiment with Medicaid work requirements offers up a glimpse of how effective such programs could be. Unfortunately, the results aren’t promising: Imposing work requirements on Medicaid recipients did not boost their rate of employment, despite the stated aims made by supporters of the programs, according to a recent study from Harvard researchers.
Arkansas’ Medicaid work requirement: Did it work? – BenefitsPro