Starting next New Year’s Day, many Medicaid beneficiaries will need to show they’re working at least 80 hours a week in order to continue qualifying for the means-tested public assistance. 

The new guidelines take effect in 2027. However, the associated data infrastructure the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it is developing to streamline eligibility determinations and appeals will not go live until 2028.

When the Trump administration fully suspended entrance to foreign nationals from 19 countries it deemed high-risk for exporting troublemakers, an unintended consequence was cutting off a helpful flow of qualified doctors and nurses.