Implementing Medicaid Work Requirements: Lessons from Unwinding Authors: Amaya Diana and Robin Rudowitz Published: Apr 14, 2026

https://www.kff.org/medicaid/implementing-medicaid-work-requirements-lessons-from-unwinding/ The 2025 reconciliation law requires states to condition Medicaid eligibility for adults in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion group and enrollees in partial expansion waiver programs (Georgia and Wisconsin) on meeting work requirements starting January 1, 2027, with the option for states to implement requirements earlier. To implement Medicaid work requirements, states will need to make policy and operational decisions, develop new outreach and education strategies, implement system upgrades or changes, and hire and train staff, all within a relatively short timeframe.