About three in 10 Medicaid recipients could be affected by potential work requirements, a share that is similar in rural and urban places, according to researchers at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of NH.
Among Medicaid recipients affected, the majority worked at least part of the previous year or were motivated to work but could not find a job. This was slightly higher in rural places (83.4 percent) than in urban areas (78.7 percent).
"As state policymakers consider Medicaid-related work requirements, it is worthwhile to consider the administrative costs of implementing this kind of waiver alongside the benefits of cost savings associated with reducing Medicaid rolls, and the expenses related to increasing the uninsured low income population,” the researchers said. “In both rural and urban places, legislators should consider whether the consequences to families losing health insurance coverage outweigh the relative benefits of enforcing work requirements.”
The research was conducted by Andrew Schaefer and Jessica Carson, research scientists in the Vulnerable Families program at the Carsey School. View the full report here.
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