STAT+: Patients jockey for exemptions from Medicaid’s new work requirements

STAT PlusPolitics Patients jockey for exemptions from Medicaid’s new work requirements It’s not clear how the government will decide who should face extra hurdles to get Medicaid Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By John WilkersonMay 12, 2026 Washington Correspondent John Wilkerson[email protected]John Wilkerson is a Washington correspondent for STAT who writes about the politics of health care. He is also the author of the twice-weekly D.C. Diagnosis newsletter.

WASHINGTON — Patient groups are jockeying for exemptions from Medicaid work requirements, but the unusually fast implementation timeline for states is causing headaches. Federal officials have until June 1 to tell states how to implement a provision of President Trump’s tax cut bill that requires certain Medicaid beneficiaries to show that they’re working, in school, or volunteering in order to keep their coverage. Once that regulation is out, states will have to put their systems in place by Jan.

1.Advertisement Advocates for people with certain diseases have been meeting with federal officials to urge that those patients be automatically exempt from the work requirements. For example, Patients with sickle cell disease recently met with White House budget officials to request an exemption. Advocacy groups for people with HIV are making a similar push.

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Subscribe Log In chronic disease, CMS, infectious disease, Medicaid, patients, Policy, public health Submit a correction requestReprints John Wilkerson Washington Correspondent John Wilkerson is a Washington correspondent for STAT who writes about the politics of health care. He is also the author of the twice-weekly D.C. Diagnosis newsletter.

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