States call out big businesses with employees on Medicaid
Summary
Several states are pushing laws to identify and sometimes penalize large companies whose workers use Medicaid, the government health program for low-income people. This effort comes as new federal rules require some Medicaid recipients to work or volunteer to keep their health coverage, a policy expected to increase the number of uninsured Americans.Key Facts
- California lawmakers want to require public naming of companies with 100 or more workers on Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program.
- Nevada has had a similar law since 2017; Oregon’s similar proposal failed in March.
- Large employers like Walmart and Amazon dispute the counts, saying many affected workers are part-time or seasonal.
- Walmart says it provides affordable health coverage, including free virtual care for most employees.
- New Jersey passed a law fining companies with 50 or more employees on Medicaid, charging $325 to $725 per worker.
- Some states want to make big companies pay more for employees’ health benefits through taxes or fees.
- The federal government’s Medicaid work requirements will start soon, requiring most Medicaid recipients ages 19-64 to work or volunteer 80 hours a month.
- These federal work rules are projected to raise the number of uninsured Americans by over 5 million by 2034.
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