Medicaid enrollees struggle to prove medical exemptions from work requirements due to unclear, burdensome documentation standards

Sick and disabled Medicaid beneficiaries face an urgent problem: they cannot easily demonstrate they qualify for medical exemptions from new work requirement rules because the CMS has set vague, difficult-to-meet documentation standards. Current processes fail because enrollees lack clear guidance on what evidence is needed, healthcare providers don't understand the requirements, and the appeals process is slow—leaving vulnerable people at risk of losing coverage while fighting bureaucratic barriers.