6/04/2026

N. WISCONSIN - New federal guidance is giving states, including Wisconsin, a roadmap for implementing Medicaid work requirements. In Wisconsin, more than a million residents, or about one in five people in the state, receive health coverage through Medicaid programs. Health advocates are warning that added paperwork and reporting requirements could create barriers for some eligible recipients. Maddy Twomey with Protect Our Care says one concern is that some of those recipients could actually lose coverage.

               0:11  "When you think about people who maybe English isn't their first language, they might not have steady internet access, people working multiple jobs, it's very, very easy to fall through the cracks and lose their Medicaid coverage."

Wisconsin has not implemented Medicaid work requirements, but federal guidance outlines how states would administer the program. Backers of the new requirements contend they're designed to encourage work and reduce dependence on government assistance. Federal Medicaid work requirements must be in place by January 1st, 2027.