Looming Medicaid Cuts Could End in Disaster. The Trump Administration Just Paused Them for Six Months.

The Trump administration has delayed enforcement of new Medicaid work requirements for six months, until mid-2027. During this period, states cannot deny applications or remove otherwise eligible people from coverage solely because they have not met the requirements, which critics say could create serious barriers to healthcare.

After the pause, most recipients under 64 deemed able to work will need to document at least 80 hours a month of work or other qualifying activities. The requirements were passed in last year’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”, which is projected to cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid over a decade; researchers have estimated that related hurdles could leave 10 million people without coverage. Nebraska began an early rollout in May, prompting complaints about the process, while officials from 25 states have sued to block the rules.