Americans are bracing for a strict new healthcare rule that forces patients to pass a new sickness test.
The latest law tightens Medicaid exemptions by forcing sick enrollees to prove their medical conditions significantly impair their ability to work.
Issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, this directive interprets the work mandates established in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Instead of simply having a diagnosed illness, low-income adults must now pass this strict assessment to maintain health coverage.
To qualify for work exemption, having an illness like cancer or mental health issues is no longer enough for the medically frail standard. The condition must directly prevent the enrollee from working, it stated.
For the Work Mandate, affected Medicaid expansion enrollees must complete at least 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, schooling, or job training to qualify.