Republican legislators push new work requirement for Medicaid

House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) joined other Republican lawmakers Monday to propose a work requirement for certain financially disadvantaged people receiving Medical Assistance or Medicaid in Minnesota.  

The proposal could impact about 125,000 Minnesotans if passed, the legislators said during an afternoon news conference. It would only apply to "able-bodied adults" between the ages of 18 and 60 who are not the sole caregiver of a child or “incapacitated” family member. Pregnant mothers and the medically frail would also be exempt.

Employment, job training or community service for at least 80 hours per month would count for the work requirement. MA recipients would also have to accept any “bona fide” job offered to them, under the plan.

WATCH House and Senate Republicans announce their proposal 

Rep. Kelly Fenton (R-Woodbury) who sponsors HF3722, described it as a way to increase workforce participation. The bill was introduced Monday and was referred to the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee.

“Rather than growing the number of people on welfare, we should be growing the number of people who are able to move off welfare and into good-paying jobs, and participating in Minnesota’s growing economy,” she said.

Daudt said since DFL Gov. Mark Dayton took office the state has nearly tripled the number of people on Medical Assistance.

“I have to believe that the number of people that need Medical Assistance hasn’t necessarily tripled,” he said. “We’ve got more jobs available than we have job seekers. And I think now is the opportunity – if we don’t put reforms in place like this, those growing budget numbers are going to simply mean that we can’t afford to take care of people that really need these programs.”

Daudt took umbrage at the notion the bill was “veto-bait” bound to be rejected by Dayton. The governor is aware of the financial risks posed by increased public assistance spending, he said.

“This is going to eat the state budget,” Daudt said of the public assistance programs.

But Rep. Jennifer Schultz (DFL-Duluth), a member of the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee, said the bill was "unnecessarily cruel and misguided" and would only hamper efforts to expand access to health care.

"This bill won't lead to a single person getting better health care or finding economic security," Schultz said in a release Monday.

In January, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revised guidelines to allow states to add work requirements to Medicaid. Kentucky has already approved a law change similar to the one proposed Monday, with a number of other states working on their own version of the idea.

Fenton’s bill would require the Department of Human Services to submit for a waiver by the Trump administration under the new guidelines. If DHS does not submit by a certain date, the department is fined $5,000 each day after the deadline. The money would go to the General Fund.

The Senate companion, SF3219, is sponsored by Sen. Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) and awaits action by the Senate Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee.