Medicaid Work Requirements Calculator
Starting January 1, 2027, many adults on Medicaid have to show 80 hours of work or other activities a month, or qualify for an exemption. Check where you stand in two minutes.
The rule applies in 43 states and D.C.
Your activities in a typical month
With a public or nonprofit organization that tracks hours.
For example WIOA, SNAP Employment & Training, a state work program.
Unpaid care for someone with a disability who does not live with you.
Each credit hour counts as 13 hours a month (credits × 3 × 4.33).
Income counted for Medicaid, before taxes. $580 a month or more meets the rule on its own.
The work rule
80 hours short
You need 80 hours a month, or $580 in monthly income, or half-time school. You have 0 hours.
| Work | 0 h |
|---|---|
| Community service | +0 h |
| Work program | +0 h |
| Caregiving | +0 h |
| School (0 credit hours) | +0 h |
| Hours per month | 0 h |
This is an estimate from published rules, not a decision by any agency. The agency that runs the program decides your case.
How this is calculated
The rule comes from the 2025 budget law (Public Law 119-21, section 71119) and the CMS interim final rule of June 3, 2026. It covers adults aged 19 to 64 in the Medicaid expansion group, plus a waiver group in Georgia, Tennessee and Wisconsin. In each month that is checked you meet the rule with any one of these:
- 80 hours of work, community service, a work program, or a mix of them
- enrollment in school at least half-time
- monthly income of at least $580, which is 80 hours at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 (a higher state minimum wage does not change it)
- for seasonal workers, an average of $580 a month over the last 6 months
Classes taken less than half-time count as hours: each credit hour is multiplied by 3 and by 4.33 weeks, so a 3-credit class is about 39 hours a month. Unpaid care for a person with a disability who lives elsewhere also counts toward the 80.
When states check
When you apply, a state looks at 1 to 3 months before the month you apply (the state picks the number). After that, it checks at each renewal, and renewals for this group come every 6 months from 2027. If a state finds you short, you get a notice and 30 days to show you meet the rule or are exempt. Coverage continues during those days. Someone who loses Medicaid for this reason also cannot get Marketplace premium tax credits.
States that started early
| State | Started |
|---|---|
| Iowa | December 1, 2026 |
| Montana | July 1, 2026 |
| Nebraska | May 1, 2026 |
Not affected: Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Wyoming. These states did not expand Medicaid and have no group under the rule. Every other state and D.C. must start by January 1, 2027. A state can ask CMS for more time, until December 31, 2028 at the latest; none had been approved when this page was checked.
Sources
Checked against the sources below on .
- Public Law 119-21, sec. 71119 (SSA 1902(xx)) and sec. 71107 (SSA 1902(e)(14)(L)), 139 Stat. 295-296, 306-315
- CMS-2454-IFC, Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals, 91 FR 33348 (2026-06-03)
- CMS fact sheet on the IFR (2026-06-01)
- CMS IFC overview slide deck (July 2026)
- CMCS Informational Bulletin, Section 71119 (2025-12-08)
- CMCS Informational Bulletin, WFTC Medicaid/CHIP summary (2025-11-18)
- SMD #26-001, Implementation of Eligibility Redeterminations, sec. 71107 (2026-03-06)
- medicaid.gov Medicaid/CHIP/BHP eligibility levels by State (decisions as of 2023-12-01)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: Minimum Wage
- 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(10)(A)(i)(IX) (Cornell LII reproduction of the U.S. Code)
- 26 U.S.C. 45R(d)(5)(B) (Cornell LII reproduction of the U.S. Code)
- CMS slide deck: Implementing Medical Frailty Under Community Engagement (posted 2026-09-08)
- medicaid.gov Community Engagement resource page
- MACPAC June 2026 report, Chapter 1
- Nebraska DHHS: Work Requirements
- Montana DPHHS: Medicaid changes FAQ
- Iowa HHS: IHAWP Community Engagement Requirements
- Arkansas DHS: ARHOME Community Engagement and Work Requirement
Questions people ask
When do Medicaid work requirements start?
Every affected state must start by January 1, 2027. Nebraska started May 1, 2026, Montana July 1, 2026, and Iowa begins December 1, 2026 for new applicants. A state can request a delay up to December 31, 2028.
How many hours do you have to work for Medicaid?
80 hours a month. Work, community service, a work or job training program, and less than half-time school can be added together. Instead of hours you can show $580 of monthly income or be enrolled at least half-time.
Who is exempt from the Medicaid work requirement?
Among others: parents and caregivers of a child 13 or younger or of a person with a disability, people who are medically frail, pregnant or postpartum, veterans with a 100% disability rating, American Indians and Alaska Natives, former foster youth under 26, people in drug or alcohol treatment, people who meet SNAP or TANF work rules, and people released from jail in the last 3 months.
Does the work requirement apply in Texas or Florida?
No. Alabama, Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Wyoming did not expand Medicaid and have no group that falls under the federal rule.
Does a higher state minimum wage lower the hours I need?
No. The income test uses the federal minimum wage of $7.25, so the amount is $580 a month in every state.