Federal Medicaid Work Rules Omit Homeless Individuals from Exemptions

Why it matters locally: The absence of homelessness as an explicit exemption in federal Medicaid work requirements could affect Medicaid recipients experiencing homelessness in Utah, potentially impacting access to healthcare services.

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Federal policy outlining Medicaid work requirements does not include homelessness among its listed exemptions. Previously, proponents of Medicaid work requirements stated that vulnerable individuals would receive exemptions. However, the federal government's final list of exemptions does not account for homelessness. Izzy Kadrmas, a medical assistant at Partnership Health Center's Watershed Clinic in Missoula, Montana, has worked with individuals seeking healthcare. Tywon Pugh, for example, received blood testing from Kadrmas.