The work requirements will affect approximately 1.7 million Medicaid beneficiaries in these states, according to PwC Health Research Institute.
A steady increase in uninsured patients
In its report, PwC wrote, “Healthcare providers serving patients from these states could experience a steady increase in uninsured patients if they lose Medicaid coverage due to their inability to meet the new requirements. This could create increased risk for providers serving significant populations of Medicaid patients from these states.”
Additionally, PwC said many of these states have hospital systems that are heavily dependent on Medicaid. These hospitals are struggling with low margin.
Furthermore, PwC noted some of the states such as Kentucky have counties with unemployment rates higher than the national average. Therefore, finding work will be difficult for beneficiaries.
All of the states wanting to implement work or community engagement as requirements have exemptions for certain groups of beneficiaries such as the elderly.
