West Virginia Raises Estimate of Enrollees at Risk Under Work Rules
West Virginia's Department of Human Services now estimates about 40,000 Medicaid recipients are not meeting new federal work requirements set to take effect Jan. 1, up from an earlier estimate of 33,000, department spokesperson Angel Hightower said. The requirements, created under the federal H.R. 1 law, mandate that expanded Medicaid enrollees ages 19-64 work, volunteer or train at least 80 hours monthly to keep coverage; about 160,000 West Virginians are on expanded Medicaid. The department says it is reviewing data to identify more enrollees who qualify for exemptions and expects updated figures this month or in early December. A federal district court recently struck down a narrower Trump administration definition of the "medically frail" exemption, and West Virginia's department says its current policies already align with the ruling. Kelly Allen of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy urged the state to seek a delay from CMS on terminating coverage for work-reporting noncompliance.