US gives states another 6 months before they have to remove people from Medicaid for not working

President Donald Trump’s administration told states Friday that they can wait until July before removing people from Medicaid for failing to meet a work requirement.

The requirement is scheduled to take effect nationally on Jan. 1, and states have been scrambling to put in place the staffing, training and technology to implement it by then. The administration clarified that while states still have the option to take action at the beginning of the year, they won’t have to kick anyone off or deny coverage for failure to meet the requirement until July 1.

Medicaid is the joint state-federal health insurance program for lower-income people. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told state Medicaid directors on Friday that they’ll still need to determine whether many enrollees and applicants for benefits are meeting new requirements that they are working, in school or volunteering.

The move a...