Doctors ‘Cringe’ at Possibility of Documenting Which Medicaid Enrollees Too Sick To Work

Starting January first, Medicaid work requirements will kick in for most of the country. Enrollees will need to prove they're working eighty hours a month — or qualify for an exemption. One exemption path is being "medically frail," too sick to work, but that may require a doctor to sign off. KFF Health News reports physicians are alarmed. Alice Thornton, who treats HIV patients in Kentucky, said she and colleagues "cringe" at the prospect: "If I'm asked, 'Is this person medically frail?' What does that even mean? I don't know, and I've been doing this for twenty-five years." Doctors say they aren't trained for work assessments, lack time for paperwork, and worry the rule undermines patient trust. About eighteen point five million Americans will be affected. Multiple states sued the rule in June, and there's a practical barrier: a shortage of primary care providers means many seeking an exemption won't find a doctor to help.

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