Republicans' effort to create Colorado Medicaid work requirement fails at first hurdle after drawing

A Republican effort to create a work requirement for Colorado’s Medicaid recipients failed in a GOP-controlled committee Thursday after its first hearing, drawing outrage along the way from Democrats and people enrolled in the health care program.

Senate Bill 214 sought to mandate that “able-bodied adults” seeking Medicaid benefits be employed, be actively seeking employment, volunteer with a nonprofit or be receiving job training. It also would have established a lifetime limit of five years for Medicaid services and a monthly income verification mandate.

Those requirements would not have had to be met by anyone in high school or pregnant or a caregiver for a family member under 5 years old. People receiving temporary or long-term disability benefits also would have been exempt.

“The able-bodied person who lives in the state — we’re not saying that they need to be off (Medicaid),” said Larry Crowder, R-Alamosa, one of the bill’s main sponsors. ” … We’re looking at a fairly small percentage of the total Medicaid (pool).”

Read more: https://www.denverpost.com/2018/03/29/colorado-medicaid-work-requirement-fails/