Kentucky will now require many of its Medicaid recipients to work for their benefits, the first time ever a state has been permitted to impose such a provision. "Kentucky HEALTH aims to improve lives and re-envision public assistance as a temporary safety net, not a long-term plan," according to a state official. He blasted critics of work requirements, saying the measure will improve recipients' health and serve as a model for the nation. Related: Trump administration allows states to make Medicaid recipients workRepublicans have long wanted to add work requirements to the Medicaid program, which covers nearly 75 million low-income children, adults, elderly and disabled Americans. Kentucky officials project that between 90,000 and 95,000 fewer people will be in the state Medicaid program at the end of the five-year waiver period.

Source: CNN January 12, 2018 18:33 UTC