Des Moines, Iowa — A key lawmaker says Senate Republicans will propose that most Iowans receiving government-paid Medicaid insurance coverage work, be looking for a job, or be training for one.
Republican Senator Mike Bousselot of Ankeny says the incoming Trump Administration is likely to be more willing to grant Iowa a waiver for this work requirement.
Senate Republicans have made similar proposals in the past, but the work requirements for Medicaid coverage were not proposed for Iowans with disabilities or a parent with young children. The first Trump Administration granted waivers to several states that sought to require able-bodied citizens to work or be enrolled in school, but federal courts and then the Biden Administration blocked the policy from taking effect. Bousselot says there’s an opportunity to revisit the issue once Trump returns.
Bousselot made his comments after speaking at a forum organized by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. The group represents chambers of commerce in 11 counties.
