Study finds Medicaid beneficiaries most likely to lose coverage due to work requirements have worse health  

A JAMA study published yesterday analyzed the health characteristics of individuals projected to lose Medicaid coverage due to work requirements included in the budget reconciliation bill (H.R. 1). The study analyzed 344 beneficiaries age 20 to 64 either working less than 20 hours per week or who were unemployed and nonexempt from work requirements. Overall, it found that 41% had three or more chronic conditions, while 45.7% had one or two and 13.7% did not have any. For individuals age 50 to 64, 66% had three or more chronic conditions. More than 20% of beneficiaries overall had dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension, urinary incontinence, depression or arthritis. The study noted a concern that beneficiaries who have chronic conditions may have difficulty documenting their conditions to qualify for an exemption.