On Friday, February 16, the Governor’s office released its Medicaid waiver application for public a 30-day public comment period. As directed by the legislature, the waiver proposed a work requirement for certain Medicaid enrollees.

The Ohio Poverty Law Center’s Graham Bowman testified at the March 1 public hearing. He noted that the proposed Medicaid work requirement for non-disabled adults is a misguided public policy because it tries to neatly divide people into three categories: those who work, those who can’t, and those who could work but are perceived to not want to. Most people who have spent time working in low-income communities will tell you that it is never that simple. Read the Ohio Poverty Law Center’s full comments in full here.

If these changes are approved, many people will lose their health care coverage through Medicaid. Even more people will have to fight paperwork and bureaucracy to keep their coverage. To get or keep your health insurance through Medicaid, you will have to (1) work, (2) participate in community engagement activities, or (3) be exempt. You will have to provide proof to show that you fit in one of these three groups. Tell us how this would impact you by taking this survey:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YKMWBMT