NE Florida News

U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean has reintroduced a bill aimed at reforming work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid benefits. The proposed changes would apply to those not in school and without dependents, with the intention of reducing reliance on government assistance, saving taxpayers over $100 billion in the next decade, and promoting fiscal responsibility.

Joining Congressman Bean in this legislative effort are Congressmen Scott Franklin, Mike Kennedy, and Randy Weber. Congressman Bean emphasized the importance of work as a dignified path out of poverty: “Work is an honorable enterprise, and it promotes a dignified pathway out of poverty. Yet today, there are more than 1.5 million able-bodied adults on Medicaid who are not working. We can’t keep asking hardworking Americans to pay for services for their neighbors who do not work,” he stated.

Congressman Franklin expressed support for the initiative: “Not only will these requirements encourage hard work and personal responsibility, but they also save the taxpayer more than 100 billion dollars over the next decade. This is the kind of commonsense Americans expect from Congress to balance our budget and preserve the American Dream.”

Congressman Kennedy, drawing on his background as a physician, noted: “I am a physician by trade and have seen firsthand that while Medicaid can achieve a lot of good, it is deeply flawed and in desperate need of reform. I grew up benefitting from government assistance myself and found its true potential is only realized when it is coupled with work."

The legislation mandates that able-bodied adults aged 18-65 without dependents must engage in work-related activities such as employment, volunteering, or education/training programs for at least 80 hours per month to qualify for Medicaid benefits.

The Congressional Budget Office previously estimated that similar measures could lead to taxpayer savings of $109 billion over ten years. Additionally, a 2023 survey by Axios-Ipsos indicated that 63% of Americans support implementing work requirements for Medicaid and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits.