FAIRFAX, Va., June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergy & Asthma Network CEO Lynda Mitchell issued the following statement in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) interim final rule released on June 1, establishing work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries:

"Allergy & Asthma Network is deeply disappointed regarding the impact the interim final rule to implement Medicaid work and community engagement requirements will have for vulnerable populations, especially individuals living with respiratory and other chronic conditions. These work requirements, passed via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA), resulted in a national mandate of employment and community engagement serving as a condition of Medicaid coverage eligibility to address program integrity.

The work requirements are applicable to non-pregnant adults aged 19-64 enrolled in the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion group or eligible under certain section 1115 demonstrations. Individuals that fall within this group must complete at least 80 hours per month of qualifying activities, such as employment, community engagement activities, or educational programs. The rule automatically exempts individuals who are pregnant/postpartum, disabled, medically frail, American Indians or Alaska Natives, and primary caregivers of young children (under 14) or disabled individuals. 

The requirements established in OBBA, and further detailed in the interim final rule, subject Medicaid enrollees, many of whom are already working and are serving as caregivers, to burdensome documentation requirements that could endanger their access to coverage. These added documentation requirements will further disenfranchise a community already navigating complex health systems to manage their chronic conditions and will compromise their ability to access critical treatments and services. 

Medicaid covers a significant portion of the 28 million Americans living with asthma, with nearly half of all children with asthma receiving their medical coverage through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program and serving adults at twice the rate of their counterparts on private insurance. Medicaid is a crucial lifeline for vulnerable patients who depend on their coverage for access to medications that help them breathe. 

Allergy & Asthma Network urges states to use currently available enrollee data sources, across public programs and health systems, to verify eligibility and avoid unnecessarily subjecting enrollees to complicated documentation and proof of verification.

Allergy & Asthma Network supports efforts to ensure program integrity that preserves individuals' ability to access timely care and maintain accessible and sustainable medical coverage."

About Allergy & Asthma Network

Founded in 1985, Allergy & Asthma Network is the leading nonprofit outreach, education, advocacy and research organization for people living with asthma, allergies and related conditions. Our mission is simple yet profound: to advance patient-centered research and advocate for better outcomes, access to care, education, and treatments that lead to improved health and quality of life. We specialize in making medically accurate information understandable to all, promoting evidence-based care, and fostering collaboration among patients, clinicians, researchers, advocates and policymakers. Learn more at AllergyAsthmaNetwork.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Jennifer Wilson | 571-395-8909 | jwilson@allergyasthmanetwork.org

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SOURCE Allergy & Asthma Network