The Trump administration has outlined new strict work requirements for recipients of Medicaid and SNAP (also known as food stamps).
States must adopt the new rules by January 1, 2027. Individuals will have to verify their eligibility every six months to continue receiving benefits.
California has already implemented the rules for new applicants to CalFresh, the state’s food assistance program, as of June 1, 2026. Existing CalFresh recipients will not have to meet the new requirements until their next recertification date.
Nearly 8 in 10 Medicaid recipients already meet the work requirements or qualify for an exemption. But over 7 million people are expected to lose their health coverage due to administrative barriers such as changing deadlines, increased frequency of renewals, or difficulties submitting paperwork.
Decades of research show that administrative requirements prevent vulnerable families and low-income workers from receiving benefits. People with multiple jobs or inconsistent hours are also less likely to have access to human resource departments that can provide them with necessary paperwork.
What are the new work requirements?
Medicaid recipients ages 19 to 64, and SNAP recipients ages 18 to 64, will need to prove they worked, attended school, volunteered, or participated in an approved training program for 80 hours a month to receive benefits.
Workers must earn at least $580 a month from their job.
Individuals with disabilities, mental health conditions, or illnesses such as H.I.V., AIDS, and cancer will now have to prove their condition makes them “medically frail” to qualify for an exemption.
Other exemptions include people who are:
- Pregnant or postpartum up to one year
- Caring for a child up to age 13 or someone who is disabled
- Current and former foster care youth under age 26
- American Indians or Alaska Natives eligible through the Indian Health Service
- Recently released from prison or jail within the last 90 days
- Affected by another short-term hardship or extenuating circumstance, which states may approve on a case-by-case basis
Why are these changes being made?
Medicaid and SNAP were reduced significantly by President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful” tax bill in July 2025.
The bill slashed $1.2 trillion from Medicaid and SNAP to fund tax cuts for wealthy families and corporations, the largest cut to Medicaid in the program’s history.
States estimate the new rules will cost them over $1 billion to implement.
What other changes have affected eligibility?
Reduced funding has forced some states to roll out new eligibility requirements for Medicaid and SNAP this year.
California implemented asset limits for older adults and people with disabilities on January 1, 2026. Asylees, refugees, parolees, trafficking victims, and other immigrant groups became ineligible for CalFresh on April 1. Several non-citizen groups will no longer receive full dental coverage as of July 1.
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