Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)
More than a dozen states have proposed or plan to implement work requirements in Medicaid, and similar requirements already exist nationally in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), yet evidence on the effects of these policies is limited. In cooperation with the state of Virginia, the investigators plan to conduct a randomized controlled trial studying the impacts of work requirements in public programs on insurance coverage, SNAP participation, employment, and health, with a particular focus on changes in racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in these outcomes. The COVID-19 epidemic and concurrent economic downturn creates additional urgency around these issues, and the investigators will use a combination of national administrative data and a new population survey to assess disparities in employment, health care, and food insecurity during this crisis.
Work requirements are becoming increasingly common in major public assistance programs, with federal requirements for most adults to work in order to participate in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP, previously known as food stamps), and more than a dozen states proposing similar requirements in Medicaid. Proponents of work requirements contend that these policies increase beneficiary engagement in work and community activities that may lead to higher incomes and better health. On the other hand, opponents of work requirements suggest that many low-resource households will…
Inclusion Criteria: * Eligible for Virginia's SNAP program as an "able-bodied adult without dependents" (ABAWD) and thus subject to work requirements (this eligibility is age restricted to 18-49) Exclusion Criteria: * Categorical exemption from work requirements for any reason (e.g., has a disability, has dependents, resides in a geographic area where work requirements have been waived due to elevated employment)
Cross-randomized intervention will test effect of additional exemption months before work requirements in SNAP become binding and extensions of the standard SNAP recertification period.
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