Leveraging Tech-Enabled Innovation To Support Medicaid Enrollees In Navigating Work Requirements Kelsey Brykman Veenu Aulakh Allison Hamblin Nida Joseph February 25, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/leveraging-tech-enabled-innovation-support-medicaid-enrollees-navigating-work Recent federal shifts in Medicaid policy require state agencies to operate more efficiently amid fewer resources. The 2025 budget reconciliation bill (H.R.1) introduces work and community engagement requirements for certain Medicaid enrollees. Other H.R.1 provisions—such as shortened periods for retroactive Medicaid coverage, more frequent eligibility checks, and new limits on state use of provider taxes and state-directed payments—will increase administrative costs and reduce Medicaid funding. In this complex policy landscape, Medicaid agencies must manage these new resource constraints in ways that minimize coverage loss for Medicaid beneficiaries and reimbursement risks to providers, while still delivering high-quality health care.