SPLC Statement on Thousands More Arkansas and Kentucky Residents Who May Lose Medicaid Coverage Due to Work Requirements

MONTGOMERY, Alabama, March 15 -- Southern Poverty Law Center issued the following statement by Samuel Brooke, deputy legal director of economic justice project:

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- A new report released today by the Arkansas Department of Human Services shows that over 6,400 more state residents will lose Medicaid coverage next month if they don't comply with an onerous work requirement.

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"These numbers continue an alarming trend from last year, when 18,000 Arkansas residents lost health coverage in the last four months of 2018 because they didn't jump through bureaucratic hoops. Additionally, an estimated 95,000 Kentuckians could lose coverage if that state's work requirement plan goes into effect this summer.

"Fortunately, the SPLC, the National Health Law Program (NHELP) and our co-counsels from the Kentucky Equal Justice Center and Legal Aid of Arkansas are challenging this process in federal lawsuits against the Trump administration for approving Medicaid work requirements in both states.

"As our team argued in court this week, the Trump administration should not allow states such as Arkansas and Kentucky to condition Medicaid coverage on illegal work requirements and other burdensome obstacles, along with cuts to services.

"We are asking the court to stop this arbitrary and capricious Medicaid waiver program before another person loses coverage and gets hurt.

"State and federal government officials should strive to make it easier for low-income people to access health care, and that's why we are continuing to fight against the Trump administration's effort to convert Medicaid into a work program."