Under new legislation from Sen. Don Gaetz and Rep. John Snyder, Medicaid recipients age 18-64 would be kicked off Medicaid if they don’t meet new work requirements to work, pursue an education or get training for at least 80 hours a month.
“Common sense work requirements for able-bodied adults emphasize personal responsibility. If you are asking your friends and neighbors to pay for your health care, you have a responsibility to do your best to find work,” Snyder, a Palm City Republican, said in a statement.
Snyder’s HB 1453 listed more than a half dozen proposed exemptions to the tougher work requirements. For instance, people with disabilities, caregivers, inmates, someone in rehab, people who were once in foster care and younger than 23 years old and postpartum mothers would not be held to the same work standards and not at risk for losing their health services.
“With strong exceptions for caregivers of young children and former foster youth, among others, we are making it clear that able-bodied adults who do not have the responsibility of a young child at home are expected to work to help pay for their own health care,” said Gaetz, a Crestview Republican.
Snyder filed HB 1453 on Friday, which would establish work requirements and provide a 30-day grace period for people to meet them. People who were removed from Medicaid coverage could request a hearing to appeal the decision or reapply for coverage, the bill said.
“Medicaid is designed as a safety net. It’s designed for children, pregnant women, the elderly and the disabled, because as Americans, we believe the most vulnerable among us deserve access to health care services that can sustain and improve their quality of life. That fact remains, as the cost of Medicaid consumes more and more of our budget each year, we have an obligation to make certain we provide the best and most robust services to those truly in need, while establishing basic, minimal standards that ensure able-bodied adults on Medicaid are on the path to self-sufficiency,” Gaetz said in a statement.
More legislation will be filed as part of the package, which includes creating a new waiver program for community-based behavioral health services and establishing new tools to ensure Medicaid obtains the lowest prices for drugs and devices, the lawmakers said in a press release on Friday.
The lawmakers’ proposed changes come as the Medicaid expansion ballot initiative seeks to qualify for the 2028 ballot. Proponents argue that 1.4 million low-income Floridians already don’t qualify for Medicaid but can’t afford private insurance.
“Florida Decides Healthcare is spearheading a ballot initiative to expand Medicaid, ensuring that every Floridian has access to quality health care,” the political committee said.
