By Dan Calabrese ——Bio and Archives--February 6, 2018
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Indiana on Friday became the second state to gain approval for imposing work requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries, a sign that the Trump administration is maintaining a rapid pace for granting changes that will put a conservative imprint on the program. The approval, the first major health-policy move since Alex Azar was sworn in Monday as Health and Human Services secretary, suggests continued support under his leadership for work-related mandates in Medicaid, the federal-state health program for the low-income and disabled. Mr. Azar, who traveled to Indiana for an event with Gov. Eric Holcomb, said the work-related requirement would apply only to a small segment of Indiana’s Medicaid enrollees. “It recognizes Medicaid can become a way out of poverty,” said Mr. Azar, adding that a “sense of purpose” comes from work. “Work is a key component of well-being.” About a dozen states, including Arizona, North Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin, also are in discussions with HHS about work-related and other mandates in Medicaid, federal officials said. Indiana joins Kentucky in requiring some Medicaid recipients to find jobs or undertake related activities like training or community work to avoid being suspended from coverage. The new requirement begins in 2019.
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