Louisiana Lawmaker Advocates for Adding Work Requirement to Medicaid: 'Best Way to Get on Your Feet Is to Get Off Your Ass'

Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, a Republican, has advocated for the addition of a work requirement to Medicaid, which would force able-bodied adults to work or volunteer in order to receive coverage.

"These programs were not meant to be parking lots, they were meant to be bridges," said the Senator on Fox News. "And for some people, not everybody on Medicaid, but for some people, the best way to get back on your feet is to get off your ass."

Sen. Kennedy, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, introduced the Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act alongside Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt. The bill places a 20-hour-per-week work or volunteering requirement upon able-bodied adults in order to receive coverage.

"Medicaid doesn't work the way it should. Able-bodied adults without dependents are better off with jobs than with hand-outs, and so are their communities and American taxpayers. My Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act would help pave a path out of poverty for millions of Americans," said Kennedy.

Medicaid work requirements could endanger coverage for 36 million Americans, according to a report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. This would include people from every state, including those unable to traverse through complicated work-reporting and verification systems on a monthly basis and those who are temporarily unemployed due to termination or other reasons.

Furthermore, research demonstrates that such work requirements do not increase employment rates. Arkansas implemented such requirements in June of 2018 for beneficiaries between the ages of 30 and 49. By that December, nearly 17,000 adults had been removed from Medicaid, and the state's unemployment rates remained steady, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"By incorporating work requirements for able-bodied adults, Medicaid can serve as a bridge to self-sufficiency, fostering pathways to employment, job training, and community engagement. This not only helps recipients gain financial independence but also preserves resources for the most vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities," said Schmitt.

"The goal of this bill is straightforward: if you're a healthy adult on Medicaid, we want to make sure you have every opportunity to find employment that leads to better health coverage. Welfare programs shouldn't incentivize people against working. This is about empowering Americans—helping them become independent, thrive in the workforce, and reach their highest potential," said Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), who introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.

Originally published by Latin Times.