WASHINGTON (June 5 2025)--A group of public health scholars have filed public comments urging the US Department of Health and Human Services to turn down the Medicaid work requirement waiver submitted by Georgia.
Georgia wants to continue to require individuals to meet a work or community engagement requirement to qualify or maintain Medicaid coverage. Three other states–Ohio, Arizona and Arkansas– have also asked HHS to allow them to impose work requirements.
The comments were filed with HHS May 29, 2025 on behalf of the American Public Health Association, and 65 public health deans and scholars including experts from the George Washington University.
In their comments, the scholars note that work requirements in any form substantially depress enrollment among eligible people, which directly contravenes Medicaid’s primary purpose of providing crucial health coverage to low-income people.
They also note that research shows that work requirements do not result in any boost in employment since most Medicaid recipients who can work are already employed.
The link to the public health comments filed with HHS for the Georgia waiver can found here, The list of all comments for this waiver can be accessed here.
GW experts are available to discuss the public health consequences of work requirements. To schedule an interview with one of the GW health policy and law experts, please contact Kathy Fackelmann, kfackelmann
gwu [dot] edu (kfackelmann[at]gwu[dot]edu) or Katelyn Deckelbaum, katelyn [dot] deckelbaumgwu [dot] edu.
MaryBeth Musumeci, a teaching associate professor of health policy and management at GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, is an expert on Medicaid, including for those with disabilities. She is a lawyer trained in health policy and can discuss how Medicaid work requirements will affect coverage access and other issues.
Alison Barkoff, is the Harold and Jane Hirsh Associate Professor of Health Law and Policy at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is an expert in health law and policy and can discuss access to healthcare, insurance and other issues.
Sara Rosenbaum, a professor emerita of health law and policy at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, is a nationally recognized expert on Medicaid, health care access as well as health care for vulnerable populations.
Leighton Ku, a professor of health policy and management and Director of the Center for Health Policy Research at GW Milken Institute School of Public Health, Is an expert on the Affordable Care Act, access to healthcare and Medicaid. In a report with the Commonwealth Fund, Ku recently did research showing that national Medicaid work requirements could threaten up to half a million jobs and harm state economies.