Arizona to postpone implementing Medicaid work requirement

Arizona has decided to postpone implementing a requirement that certain adults work or participate in training or community service an average 80 hours per month to continue qualifying for Medicaid. In a letter last week to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, state officials said the decision “is informed by the evolving national landscape concerning Medicaid community engagement programs and ongoing litigation regarding the topic.” A federal judge this year blocked Medicaid work requirements in New Hampshire, Kentucky and Arkansas. CMS in January approved a Section 1115 waiver for Arizona to implement the work requirement sometime after Jan. 1, 2020.