密苏里州拒绝联邦医疗补助工时要求的“困难豁免”：将要求受益人验证工作时长
杰斐逊城——密苏里州政府已决定，不使用联邦政府提供的可选“短期困难豁免”，而是全面执行《大而美法案》设定的医疗补助（Medicaid）工作要求。州社会服务厅媒体主任贝莉·瓦茨（Baylee Watts）确认，州政府将按联邦时间表，要求19至64岁的参保成年人每月工作、上学或从事志愿服务80小时。
新规将于2027年1月1日生效。州政府表示，参保人每六个月仅需核验其中一个月的工作时长是否符合要求，而非逐月申报。瓦茨强调，州政府正在推进系统与流程的准备，确保新规平稳落地。
倡导组织担心，这一要求可能导致符合条件的参保人因文书或流程障碍失去保险。不过也有支持者认为，工作要求能鼓励参保人进入劳动力市场。
《大而美法案》是今年夏天通过的联邦预算调和法案，其中对医疗补助施加了新的资格条件，允许各州申请短期困难豁免以缓冲实施，但密苏里州选择不申请豁免。
信息来源：密苏里独立报（Missouri Independent）、KRPS（10月6日报道）
Missouri Rejects Federal 'Hardship' Exemptions for Medicaid Work Requirements
JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri will not use the optional federal "short-term hardship" exemptions and will fully implement the Medicaid work requirements set by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, state officials confirmed. Department of Social Services media director Baylee Watts said the state will require Medicaid enrollees ages 19-64 to work, attend school or volunteer 80 hours per month.
The new rules take effect Jan. 1, 2027. The state said enrollees will need to verify their hours for just one month out of every six, rather than reporting every month. Watts said the state is building out systems and processes to ensure a smooth rollout.
Advocacy groups worry the requirements could cause eligible enrollees to lose coverage over paperwork or process hurdles; supporters argue the requirements encourage enrollees to join the workforce.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the federal budget reconciliation bill passed this summer, imposed new Medicaid eligibility conditions and allows states to seek short-term hardship exemptions to cushion implementation — an option Missouri chose not to take.
Sources: Missouri Independent; KRPS (Oct. 6 report)
图片来源：图：密苏里州议会大厦（杰斐逊城）。摄影：Kbh3rd，CC BY 4.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons
