Medicaid Work Requirements in Washington
Beginning January 1, 2027, people eligible for Apple Health for Adults must meet work requirements or have an exemption to stay on Apple Health. Coverage periods change from 12 to 6 months at your first renewal in 2027.
Check your situation in Washington
When it starts in Washington
- January 1, 2027: the requirement starts.
- First 2027 renewal: coverage periods change to 6 months (American Indian and Alaska Native members keep 12 months).
- January 2028: medically frail status must be verified; through 2027 no extra proof is required.
Who has to meet it
The rule applies to people ages 19 to 64 in Apple Health for Adults, unless they are pregnant, have Medicare, or are exempt. You meet it in a month with 80 hours of work, community service, a work program, or school (in any mix), by going to school at least half-time, or with at least $580 in monthly income.
You are exempt if, for example, you care for a child 13 or younger or a person with a disability, are pregnant or postpartum, are American Indian or Alaska Native, are medically frail, are a veteran with a total (100%) VA disability rating or TDIU, were in foster care at 18 and are under 26, are in drug or alcohol treatment, meet SNAP or TANF work rules, or left jail or prison in the last 3 months. See the full exemption list.
Court ruling, October 29, 2026. In Massachusetts v. Oz, a federal court struck down the CMS rule's extra "significantly impairs" test for the medically frail exemption. If you are in any of the five medically frail groups in the law, you qualify. Washington was one of the parties that sued, so the court also gave Washington six months of relief from federal enforcement of its medically frail decisions while it updates its systems. The January 1, 2027 start date did not change, and CMS may appeal. What the ruling means.
How Washington checks and how to report
Months checked: Applicants: the month before the application month. At renewal: any one month during the certification period.
Show compliance or an exemption when you apply for or renew Apple Health for Adults, usually through Washington Healthplanfinder. The system still tries to renew you automatically before sending a notice.
Other things to know in Washington
- HCA applies the disaster-area and high-unemployment-county hardship exceptions automatically.
- The requirement applies only to Apple Health for Adults.
Official tools and contacts
- Check if it applies: HCA work requirements survey
- Report and upload: Washington Healthplanfinder
- Apple Health customer service: 1-800-562-3022
- Washington Healthplanfinder (TTY 1-855-627-9604): 1-855-923-4633
- HCA: Apple Health work requirements
- HCA: work requirements and renewals fact sheet (PDF)
- Agency: Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA)
Federal protections that apply in Washington
- The state must check its own records before asking you for proof.
- If it can't confirm you meet the rule, you get a notice and at least 30 days to respond, and your coverage continues meanwhile.
- You get written notice and the right to a fair hearing before coverage ends, and you can reapply at any time.
- If you lose Medicaid for not meeting the rule, you cannot get marketplace premium tax credits for those months. Learn more.
Frequently asked questions
When do Medicaid work requirements start in Washington?
January 1, 2027. Current members are usually checked at their first renewal on or after that date.
How many months does Washington check?
Applicants: the month before the application month. At renewal: any one month during the certification period.
How do I report my hours or an exemption in Washington?
Show compliance or an exemption when you apply for or renew Apple Health for Adults, usually through Washington Healthplanfinder. The system still tries to renew you automatically before sending a notice.
Who do I call about Apple Health work requirements?
Apple Health customer service: 1-800-562-3022
Washington Healthplanfinder (TTY 1-855-627-9604): 1-855-923-4633
Can I lose Apple Health right away if I don't meet the requirement?
No. Federal law requires a notice, at least 30 days to show you comply or are exempt, continued coverage during that time, and fair hearing rights before coverage ends.
Sources
- HCA: Apple Health (Medicaid) work requirements
- HCA: work requirements and renewals fact sheet
- HCA: contact HCA
- Public Law 119-21 (H.R. 1), sec. 71119: community engagement requirement (GovInfo)
- CMS interim final rule, Medicaid community engagement requirement, 91 FR 33348 (June 3, 2026)
- Massachusetts v. Oz, No. 1:26-cv-12962-RGS (D. Mass.), memorandum and order (Oct. 29, 2026)