The recent announcement by the Trump administration that states can seek waivers that require able-bodied adults on Medicaid to work, train, or volunteer is good news not just for federal and state budgets, but also for Medicaid recipients themselves.
One principle underlying the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' new guidance to allow states to adopt commonsense work requirements is that work and community engagement can improve both physical and mental health. And that principle, in turn, relies on sound science. Indeed, there is abundant evidence that regular work improves health. Unemployment, by contrast, can seriously weaken physical and mental health. If common sense is not enough to show that link, numerous studies have demonstrated those conclusions.
