Republican Medicaid Plan Shows How to Make Work Requirements Work Right

The House GOP’s Limit, Save, Grow Act to raise the debt ceiling contains within it a vitally important reform — work requirements for able-bodied adults to qualify for Medicaid.

While the Congressional Budget Office estimates the Medicaid work requirements in the bill will save $109 billion over the next 10 years, the money savings are not why the reform is so important. In fact, work requirements for welfare programs are vital for the health and wellbeing of those receiving benefits.

The House GOP Medicaid work requirements build on the highly successful reforms to unemployment insurance and other welfare programs Republicans enacted in 1996.