Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), led the White House press briefing on Tuesday afternoon, marking his first appearance at the podium since taking over the agency. The briefing came one day after the Trump administration issued a final rule requiring most Medicaid beneficiaries ages 19 through 64 to prove they are working, completing community service or participating in a work program to receive benefits.
The new requirements represent a significant shift in Medicaid eligibility policy. Under the final rule, states would be required to implement verification systems for most working-age adults receiving Medicaid coverage. The administration has framed the changes as promoting self-sufficiency and fiscal responsibility within the safety-net program that covers approximately 80 million Americans.
What the Left Is Saying
Democratic lawmakers and progressive advocacy groups have criticized the new requirements as a barrier to healthcare access. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that the policy would "rip health coverage away from vulnerable Americans who are already working or cannot work due to disability, caregiving responsibilities, or economic conditions beyond their control."
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank, argued that similar requirements implemented in some states during the previous administration led to coverage losses without meaningful employment gains. The organization pointed to data from Arkansas, where Medicaid work requirements resulted in 18,000 people losing coverage before a federal court blocked the policy.
Advocates for low-income families have raised concerns about administrative burdens. The National Health Law Program stated that verification requirements would disproportionately affect rural communities, individuals with unstable housing and those with limited digital literacy who may struggle to navigate new bureaucratic processes.
What the Right Is Saying
Supporters of the Medicaid work requirements argue they promote personal responsibility and align the program with other federal assistance programs. White House officials said during the briefing that the changes would "empower Americans to achieve independence rather than remain trapped in cycles of dependency."
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who has championed work requirement policies for years, called the final rule a "commonsense reform" that would improve outcomes for Medicaid recipients. "Work requirements have proven successful in other welfare programs," Cassidy said in a press release. "There is no reason Medicaid should be treated differently when it comes to able-bodied adults without dependents."
The administration has emphasized that the requirements include exemptions for individuals with disabilities, those serving as caregivers, and those enrolled in educational or vocational training programs. CMS officials noted that most Medicaid beneficiaries who can work already do so, but the new framework would formalize existing employment among the caseload.
What the Numbers Show
Medicaid covers approximately 80 million Americans at any given time, making it one of the largest government healthcare programs. According to Kaiser Family Foundation data, roughly 60 percent of non-elderly adult Medicaid beneficiaries are already employed. An additional 8 percent are caregivers, and about 7 percent are students.
The Congressional Budget Office has not yet scored the latest version of work requirements. Previous estimates for similar proposals suggested potential savings of $10 billion to $15 billion over a decade, though those projections varied widely depending on participation rates and state implementation approaches.
Medicaid spending totaled approximately $600 billion in federal and state funds last year, with the federal government covering roughly 60 percent of costs. The program is the largest single item in most states' budgets after K-12 education.
The Bottom Line
The Medicaid work requirements represent one of the most significant eligibility changes to the program since its expansion under the Affordable Care Act. States will need to implement verification systems, and courts are expected to review whether the administration has exceeded its statutory authority—a process that led to previous work requirement policies being blocked during the Trump administration's first term.
Enrollment losses could be substantial depending on how states implement exemptions and verification processes. Advocates on both sides expect legal challenges to proceed quickly once the rule takes effect, with opponents arguing it violates the Medicaid statute's broad eligibility provisions.
What to watch: Whether Democratic-led states pursue injunctive relief, what implementation timelines states adopt, and whether the administration can demonstrate that work requirements improve employment outcomes rather than simply reducing enrollment.