CMS Requires More Restrictive Definition of Medical Frailty in New Medicaid Work Requirements Rule

(Author Jennifer Tolbert for The Kaiser Family Foundation published June 2, 2026)

On June 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a long-anticipated interim final rule that will guide state implementation of Medicaid work requirements. The 2025 reconciliation law requires 43 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 or sooner at state option. Most Medicaid adults are already working or face barriers to work, and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the new requirements will not meaningfully increase employment by Medicaid enrollees, but that millions of people will end up uninsured. Continue reading here…

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