NLIRH: Medicaid Work Requirements Are An Attack Against Women of Color

Washington, D.C. — The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) announced Thursday that states may impose work requirements as a condition of Medicaid eligibility for many adults, threatening coverage for millions of individuals and families with low-incomes.  This unprecedented attack on the over fifty-year program will disproportionately impact women and communities of color.  Almost two-thirds (62 percent) of those who would lose Medicaid coverage due to work requirements are women. Due to systemic barriers to healthcare and income inequality, Medicaid is a critical health program for women of color. Over a quarter of Latinas are enrolled in Medicaid and depend on it for quality, affordable, life-saving care. Nina Esperanza Serrianne, policy analyst for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH), issued the following statement:

“This attack to Medicaid will fundamentally change the critical program and make it harder for individuals to obtain coverage. Work requirements and other proposed harmful policies create a slippery slope for states, pushing families off of their insurance for which they are otherwise eligible. We have seen this play out with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and we know that work requirements do not increase long-term employment or reduce poverty.  This will inevitably lead to more harmful health outcomes and removes the ability to access preventive care or address chronic conditions. These changes are a life-threatening and discriminatory attack on women of color. We need programs that serve historically under-insured populations and lift up families. NLIRH will continue to fight for the right for all individuals to have access to safe, accessible, and affordable healthcare services.”

For more information on NLIRH’s fight for health, dignity and justice, visit us at latinainstitute.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @NLIRH.

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The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health is the only national reproductive justice organization dedicated to building Latina power to advance health, dignity, and justice for 28 million Latinas, their families, and communities in the United States through leadership development, community mobilization, policy advocacy, and strategic communications.