Federal Policy
Federal Medicaid Work Requirements Exclude Homeless Individuals from Exemptions
Federal Medicaid work requirements do not include homelessness as an exemption category, despite assurances that vulnerable populations would receive waivers. Homeless individuals must meet work or community engagement requirements to maintain coverage, even though securing employment typically requires stable housing. The rule affects Medicaid beneficiaries experiencing homelessness in states that adopt work requirements. This gap exposes a population already facing barriers to healthcare access to potential coverage loss.
Why it mattersState Medicaid agencies implementing work requirements must enforce them against homeless beneficiaries or seek approval for state-specific exemptions, creating administrative complexity and potential litigation risk.