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News
New Urban Institute research warns that up to 2.3 million young adults aged 19–24 could lose Medicaid coverage once work requirements kick in under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Young adults are especially vulnerable because they move frequently and often work gig jobs that are hard for states to track. How states choose to implement the rules will make or break the scale of coverage losses.
A new report from the Urban Institute is sounding the alarm on Medicaid work requirements set to roll out next year. Up to 2.3 million young adults between the ages of 19 and 24 could lose coverage — not necessarily because they don't qualify, but because the administrative burden of proving eligibility is disproportionately hard for this age group. Young adults tend to move between states more often and engage in gig work or schooling that's difficult for states to document.
The silver lining? An estimated 88% of young adults already participate in activities that would meet the work requirement standards under H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act). The real risk lies in the paperwork, not the policy intent.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: The scale of coverage loss hinges almost entirely on how aggressively states act — through automatic data matching, targeted outreach, and streamlined renewals. Without proactive mitigation, millions of eligible young adults could lose coverage they technically qualify for.
