Five Governors Press HHS to Delay Jan. 1 Medicaid Work Rules

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek led governors from California, Maine, New York and Virginia in a letter urging HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to delay the Jan. 1 effective date for new Medicaid work-requirement and eligibility rules stemming from the 2025 federal tax and spending law. The governors say final federal rules, issued six months after initial January guidance, contradicted that earlier guidance and changed the medical frailty definition, forcing states to rebuild eligibility systems, forms and verification processes with less than 100 days to spare. This is their second such request after a May 29 letter went unanswered by HHS. The governors cite CBO estimates that the new work-reporting requirements could leave 5 million people uninsured by 2034, with roughly half of coverage losses driven by paperwork and reporting errors rather than ineligibility.