THE COMMONWEALTH FUND; How Medical Frailty Exemption Policies Can Offer a Lifeline to People with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses When Medicaid Work Requirements Are Implemented
H.R. 1 requires Medicaid expansion states to implement work requirements by January 1, 2027. Medical frailty exemptions exist but processes are underdeveloped. While 34% of Medicaid enrollees report disabilities, only 10% qualify based on disability determination. About 5.3 million people expected to lose coverage. States need new IT systems costing $10-270 million to identify medically frail enrollees. Authors recommend broad definitions, self-attestation options, and reasonable accommodations.
