Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act

New Medicaid work rule for adults

If enacted, this bill would add a monthly work-or-volunteer rule to Medicaid starting January 1, 2026. You would need to average at least 20 hours per week of paid work or 20 hours per week of volunteering in a month to keep Medicaid for that month. States could withhold Medicaid for any month you do not meet the rule. The rule would not apply if you are under 18 or over 65, are pregnant, are medically certified as unable to work, are the primary caregiver of a child under age 6, care for a child with a serious medical condition or disability (as the State decides), are receiving unemployment and following that program's work rules, or are in a drug or alcohol treatment program as defined in federal law.