What Could Medicaid Work Requirements Mean for SSI Applicants?

(Authors: Abby Sachar, Amaya Diana, Alice Burns, and Jennifer Tolbert for The Kaiser Family Foundation Published: Jul 29, 2026)

The 2025 reconciliation law requires 44 states to condition Medicaid eligibility for adults in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion group and enrollees in certain waiver programs, on meeting work requirements starting January 1, 2027, or sooner at state option. While the law specifies mandatory exclusions, including for individuals who are “medically frail,” the approach to determining medical frailty specified in the June 2026 interim final rule could make it difficult for some people to qualify for this exclusion. Medicaid expansion provides coverage to many adults with significant health care needs, including some with disabilities who are applying for the Supplemental Security Income Program (SSI). This coverage could be at risk for some because of the planned approach to defining medical frailty. Continue reading here…

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