Trump’s new Medicaid rules will kick in, and GOP states are tougher. Someone may be too frail to work but can’t afford to see a doctor to prove it
While federal regulations say the state can take the recipient's word for it for the first year, at least six states are requiring documentation immediately.
President Donald Trump's 2025 tax cut and policy law has led to the implementation of work requirements for some Medicaid beneficiaries starting in January. While federal regulations allow states to take the recipient's word for it initially, six Republican-led states have imposed stricter rules requiring immediate documentation from a medical provider to prove that someone is too frail to work.
This new requirement has raised concerns among advocates, as it may create difficulties for new applicants who cannot afford medical documentation. The Medicaid changes are projected to save the federal government $887 billion over the next decade, but critics argue that the rules are too harsh and could result in 7.5 million fewer people with health insurance.
Democrats in 25 states are suing and asserting that the rules are too stringent, while some Republican lawmakers have pushed for amendments that would require documentary evidence of work or exemption reasons, prohibiting self-attestation.
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