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Many people with disabilities risk losing their Medicaid if they work too much
- Iowa resident Zach Mecham, a 31-year-old with muscular dystrophy who uses a ventilator and wheelchair and runs a marketing business, faces a dilemma because he relies on Medicaid for support services not covered by private insurance, but must limit his income to maintain eligibility.
- Because Medicaid is jointly financed by federal and state governments and serves millions of low-income Americans and those with disabilities, several states, including Iowa, are considering bills to address the income and asset caps that can discourage work and marriage.
- Iowa's proposed "Work Without Worry" bill, modeled after a Tennessee law, aims to remove these caps, allowing people with disabilities to earn more without losing Medicaid, while requiring them to pay 6% of their income as premiums, a change supported by disability rights advocates and some Republicans who see it as aligning with both parties' goals.
- State Representative Carter Nordman stated, "This aligns with things both parties are aiming to do," while Zach Mecham, who has been lobbying for the bill, said, "This is such a convoluted system that I have to navigate to build any kind of life for myself."
- The proposed changes could ease worker shortages, particularly in rural areas where the working-age population is shrinking, and are viewed by some as "common sense and good policy," potentially offsetting program costs through premiums and increased tax revenue from increased employment, although enrollment in Medicaid buy-in programs is currently relatively low nationwide with fewer than 200,000 people covered.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Advocates lobby for legislation that aids Iowans struggling with mental illnesses
DES MOINES, Iowa -- According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness Iowa chapter, mental health issues touch a lot of Iowans -- around one in five. The group met on Wednesday for its annual Mental Health Day on the Hill. Part of the meeting is for family members and mental health providers to tell their story to lawmakers. A big focus is on stopping a proposed law which would place a work requirement on Medicaid recipients. "The bill that w…
Report finds 'significant' drop in percentage of men in Iowa labor market - Radio Iowa
An analysis by an Iowa-based think tank has found the percentage of working age men who have a job or are looking for work is falling faster in Iowa than in the country as a whole. Ben Murrey, director of policy and research at the Common Sense Institute, said it’s a “significant, but under-recognized challenge […]
Many People With Disabilities Risk Losing Their Medicaid if They Work Too Much
PLEASANTVILLE, Iowa — Zach Mecham has heard politicians demand that Medicaid recipients work or lose their benefits. He also has run into a jumble of Medicaid rules that effectively prevent many people with disabilities from holding full-time jobs. “Which is it? Do you want us to work or not?” he said. Mecham, 31, relies on the public insurance program to pay for services that help him live on his own despite a disability caused by muscular dyst…
Medicaid work requirement changes could further depress Kentucky communities - NKyTribune
By Nadia Ramlagan Public News Service Some Kentucky lawmakers want to make it mandatory for some Medicaid participants in Kentucky to work, but experts say that would disproportionately affect people with mental health or substance use disorders. House Bill 695 would require able-bodied adults with no dependents to work 20 hours a week – and prove it – to receive health care. Kentucky currently has a voluntary program, with job training and oppo…
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