Issue Briefs
Date of this Version
2-8-2019
Abstract
Using information from all 2.9 million Pennsylvania Medicaid enrollees as of April 1, 2016, we identified the 815,763 working-age adults (ages 21-64) and assessed their likely exemption and working status over the course of the subsequent year. More than half would likely be exempt from work requirements because of their caregiver status (38%) or disability status (14%). Thirty-one percent would be nonexempt but considered working, with at least one month of work; this group had either part-time or full time work 95% of the time they were enrolled in Medicaid. This snapshot suggests that more than 80% of working-age adults were already working or disabled or potential caregivers and thus, while still subject to compliance verification that the Department will need to administer and enforce, are unlikely to substantially benefit from work requirements. Our results, as visualized below, show that 11% (90,194) of working-age enrollees (815,763) subject to administration and verification of the work requirement program would be found to be nonexempt, not working and on Medicaid for at least a year. This group, representing just 3% of the 2.9 million Medicaid enrollees, would have the greatest potential to change their work status as a result of the program. The burden and cost of implementation to the 815,763 would have to be weighed against the benefit to the 90,194 to determine whether, among current beneficiaries, the benefits of such a program outweigh the costs.
Document Type
Brief
Volume
23
Number
1
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Keywords
Medicaid, work requirements, Pennsylvania
Date Posted: 29 March 2019