From right, Medicaid experts Mike Levine, Kevin Bagley, and Elizabeth Matney spoke with Tara Bannow at the STAT Summit in Boston on Thursday.Jeff Pinette for STAT

Isabella Cueto covers the leading causes of death and disability: chronic diseases. Her focus includes autoimmune conditions and diseases of the lungs, kidneys, liver (and more). She writes about intriguing research, the promises and pitfalls of treatment, and what can be done about the burden of disease. You can reach Isabella on Signal at isabellacueto.03.

BOSTON — Even as many parts of the new Medicaid work requirements remain unclear, states are beginning to feel the deadline pressure, three current and former state Medicaid directors said Thursday. 

A key way President Trump’s recent tax bill aims to cut almost $1 trillion in Medicaid spending over a decade is by adding work requirements. Some states have tried to beef up eligibility requirements in the past, including during the first Trump administration. Through that process, they learned what kinks must be smoothed out in order for work requirements to go live by Jan. 1, 2027, the directors said at the STAT Summit Thursday. 

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is expected to release guidance to states by June, though it may come before then. That is a tight timeline, MassHealth Undersecretary Mike Levine said. “The next 14 months is going to go really quickly,” he said. 

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