White House Rejects Lifetime Limits for Medicaid Beneficiaries

The Trump administration announced Monday that it is rejecting Kansas’s request to impose lifetime limits on Medicaid benefits, with CMS chief Seema Verma telling the American Hospital Association that "Medicaid remains the safety net for those that need it most."

Later Monday, CMS and New Hampshire announced that work requirements were approved for those receiving benefits in that state. The administration has already approved work requirements in Medicaid in an effort to refashion the program from one providing medical benefits to one of self-sufficiency and a path out of poverty.

In its letter to state officials in Kansas announcing its decision, Verma said, "We have approved, in other states, meaningful incentives for certain adults to participate in community engagement activities and to take greater responsibility for their health and well-being, including periods of ineligibility for failing to comply with these requirements. In every case, these incentive structures are designed to engage beneficiaries in ways that promote positive health and well-being."

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