Healthcare (Medicaid)

HB 298 (Pennsylvania, 2025) requests federal approval for a waiver to change how medical assistance eligibility is managed for certain adults. It would allow Pennsylvania to deny eligibility for up to six months if nondisabled, nonpregnant adults aged 19-64 fail to report changes affecting their benefits, require biannual eligibility reviews (instead of annual), and eliminate automatic renewal requirements. The bill directly affects adults in this age group who don’t report income or other changes impacting their medical assistance. If approved, the state must report the waiver to state officials and publish it in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. This focuses on administrative process changes, not eligibility criteria.

HB 1807 requires Pennsylvania Medicaid enrollees aged 18 or older (who are physically and mentally capable of work) to work 20 hours weekly or complete 12 monthly job training activities to maintain coverage. Non-compliance results in temporary loss of Medicaid eligibility (3, then 6, then 9 months), with penalties applying after a second year of employment. The bill includes exemptions for full-time students, people with disabilities, pregnant individuals, those receiving Supplemental Security Income, and others in specific circumstances. It mandates annual federal waiver applications to implement these requirements, starting March 1, 2026. The policy directly affects working-age adults on Medicaid who do not qualify for exemptions.

HB 1033 prohibits healthcare providers from performing gender transition procedures on minors under 18, including surgeries, cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers. It also requires government health programs (like Medicaid) and health insurance policies to stop covering these procedures for minors. The bill defines "gender transition procedures" to include genital/nongenital surgeries, cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers. Individuals aged 18 or older are not affected by the ban and may continue receiving such care.