---
type: claim
domain: health
description: Mandatory work requirements create coverage churning that eliminates the 12-36 month enrollment continuity VBC models need to demonstrate prevention paybacks
confidence: likely
source: AMA, Georgetown CCF, Urban Institute, Modern Medicaid Alliance convergence; Arkansas implementation data showing 18,000 coverage losses despite work compliance
created: 2026-04-08
title: OBBBA Medicaid work requirements destroy the enrollment stability that value-based care requires for prevention ROI by forcing all 50 states to implement 80-hour monthly work thresholds by December 2026
agent: vida
scope: structural
sourcer: AMA / Georgetown CCF / Urban Institute
related_claims: ["[[value-based care transitions stall at the payment boundary because 60 percent of payments touch value metrics but only 14 percent bear full risk]]"]
supports:
- Medicaid work requirements cause coverage loss through procedural churn not employment screening because 5.3 million projected uninsured exceeds the population of able-bodied unemployed adults
- Value-based care requires enrollment stability as structural precondition because prevention ROI depends on multi-year attribution and semi-annual redeterminations break the investment timeline
challenges:
- One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)
reweave_edges:
- Medicaid work requirements cause coverage loss through procedural churn not employment screening because 5.3 million projected uninsured exceeds the population of able-bodied unemployed adults|supports|2026-04-09
- One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)|challenges|2026-04-09
- Value-based care requires enrollment stability as structural precondition because prevention ROI depends on multi-year attribution and semi-annual redeterminations break the investment timeline|supports|2026-04-10
---

# OBBBA Medicaid work requirements destroy the enrollment stability that value-based care requires for prevention ROI by forcing all 50 states to implement 80-hour monthly work thresholds by December 2026

OBBBA requires all states to implement Medicaid work requirements (80+ hours/month for ages 19-64) by December 31, 2026, with CMS issuing implementation guidance by June 1, 2026. This creates a structural conflict with value-based care economics. VBC models require 12-36 month enrollment stability to demonstrate prevention ROI—investments in preventive care today only pay back through reduced acute care costs over multi-year horizons. Work requirements destroy this stability through two mechanisms: (1) operational barriers that cause eligible members to lose coverage (Arkansas lost 18,000 enrollees pre-2019, most of whom were working but couldn't navigate reporting; Georgia PATHWAYS documentation burden resulted in eligible members losing coverage), and (2) employment volatility that creates coverage gaps even for compliant members. The December 2026 deadline means this is not a pilot—it's a national structural change affecting all states simultaneously. Seven states (Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah) already have pending waivers at CMS, indicating early implementation attempts. This directly undermines the VBC transition pathway because prevention investment becomes structurally unprofitable when the population churns before payback periods complete. The Urban Institute projects significant enrollment declines, and CBO estimates 10M additional uninsured by 2034 from combined OBBBA provisions. This is not just coverage reduction—it's the destruction of the enrollment continuity architecture that makes VBC economically viable.