Indiana governor wants work requirement for some on Medicaid

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb wants some adults to have a job or to enroll in a work-readiness program to qualify for Medicaid.

The Republican asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Wednesday for permission to impose such a requirement.

A large number of people enrolled in the state's Medicaid-funded Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0 would be exempted from the requirement. They include pregnant women, students, single-parents, anyone over 60, people in drug treatment or on disability, and those who have recently been imprisoned.

But other "able-bodied adults" would be required to work at least 20 hours a week or participate in the state's Gateway to Work job-readiness program.

The federal government must sign off on the plan, which also must go through a public comment period.