Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, said on Newsmax on Tuesday that Medicaid recipients should be required to work at least 20 hours a week to continue receiving benefits, calling it necessary to rebuild America's work ethic and reduce dependency on government programs.
Husted defended a proposed Medicaid work requirement during an appearance on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren," saying that asking recipients to work is a fair exchange for taxpayer-funded health coverage.
"When you have the work requirement, we're getting something in return," Husted said. "We're getting effort, we're getting productivity, we're getting a taxpayer. They'll be able to maintain their Medicaid benefits, but they're just going to have to work 20 hours a week."
The policy push comes as Republicans in Congress and the White House seek to shift financial responsibility for social safety net programs, such as Medicaid, back to the states. A House bill expected to advance this week includes provisions requiring non-disabled adults to meet work requirements to remain eligible for some benefits, CNN reported.
"You'll find a lot of times that once somebody goes to work, and you force them to go to work, they might then get a full-time job," Husted said. "They then get health insurance with their employer. And then you start to gradually reduce the number of people who are on the Medicaid program. You start to gain productivity for the American economy. You start to create more taxpayers. And that's good for America."
Husted framed the requirement as part of a larger cultural shift aimed at reviving what he described as a diminished work ethic across the country.
"We've eliminated the need to work in many cases," he said. "We've killed the work ethic, and now we need to give a new birth to the work ethic and restore American prosperity and save the taxpayers money."
When asked how low-income individuals would access healthcare if forced to work but unable to afford private insurance, Husted emphasized that the requirement would not immediately cut anyone off from coverage.
"The work requirement is not kicking anyone off of Medicaid," he said. "It's just saying in return for those benefits, your neighbor's working hard, your neighbor's going to work every day. He's working in the factory. He's working construction. She's a nurse. And they're paying for your healthcare. And so the social contract demands that you do something in return for it."
Husted added that fairness and reciprocity are key components of the policy and said that earning potential and employment benefits often increase once people join the workforce.
"Over time, they build work skills, they build earning power, and they go off and work for an employer who actually is paying for their healthcare benefits," he said.
He acknowledged that broader affordability issues remain. "The idea that you talked about, about affording it — well, that's a big issue. That's a big issue that we're going to have to tackle with everything from prescription drugs to the food that we eat," Husted said. "All of the things that are on that list that will make America healthier and drive down costs."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com