Work requirements for Medicaid recipients, food assistance cuts and other measures in the budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would rearrange the U.S. social safety net

A House Republican bill would require Medicaid recipients to work, volunteer or be enrolled in school for at least 80 hours a month.

House Republicans leaders are planning to accelerate new Medicaid work requirements to December 2026 in a deal with ultra-conservatives on the giant tax bill, according to a lawmaker familiar with the discussions.

After House Republicans passed a Medicaid policy requiring recipients to have proof of employment, Scott said the move would save billions.

Now the Senate gets its hands on the "big, beautiful bill," which exceeds 1,000 pages, after House committees labored on it for months.

New Jersey would lose $3.6 billion in Medicaid funding and $200 million for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, under bill passed by House. The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate.

In rural Colorado, Medicaid coverage is integral to both people's health and the local economy. Proposed changes such as work requirements, could ripple through communities.

Advocates of Medicaid work requirements overlook a plain truth: A healthy population is essential to a productive national workforce.