Serafi Quoted in POLITICO on Medicaid Access Barriers with New Work Requirements

Manatt Health Partner was quoted in POLITICO on the significant access barriers facing Medicaid enrollees in states that are rejecting the federal government's one-year grace period for medical frailty verification under new work requirements.

At least eight Republican-led states will require proof of medical frailty starting in January 2027, going beyond what the Trump administration mandated, despite analysis from Manatt showing that states allowing self-attestation saw far fewer people lose coverage than those requiring documentation. Serafi warned that requiring individuals to obtain documentation from their providers will place a significant burden on enrollees, particularly those in rural areas, states with provider shortages or communities with limited transportation options.

“Requiring individuals to go get documentation from their provider to demonstrate their medical frailty is going to place such a significant burden on people to make the appointment, to obtain the documentation, to put the stress on the provider, to make that assessment,” said Serafi. “People who live in rural areas, people who live in states that have provider shortages, or there's a lack of transportation, are going to really struggle to document medical frailty, even if they clearly qualify.”

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