Judith Heumann Memorial Workers with Disabilities Act of 2025
This bill would create the District Workers with Disabilities Program within the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible employed residents with disabilities. It is titled the Judith Heumann Memorial Workers with Disabilities Amendment Act of 2026 and is intended to help people with disabilities who are working, including self-employed individuals, maintain health coverage while remaining employed.
The program would generally be available to District residents age 16 or older who have a disability, are employed, and are not already enrolled in Medicaid, DC Healthcare Alliance, DC Healthy Families, or the Child and Adolescent Supplemental Security Income Program. The bill sets out application, verification, recertification, premium, termination, appeal, and third-party liability rules, and directs DHCF to seek federal approval through a Medicaid state plan amendment. It also establishes a special premium fund to receive program premiums and pay Medicaid and administrative costs.
The bill would amend the District of Columbia Public Assistance Act of 1982 by adding a new Title IV-A governing a new Medicaid coverage pathway for working people with disabilities. It would require DHCF to administer eligibility determinations, premium collection, recertification, notices, hearings, and reimbursement rules, and would authorize the Mayor to issue implementing regulations. The measure also creates the District Workers with Disabilities Premium Fund, which would hold premium revenue and be used to offset the District’s Medicaid share and related administrative expenses.
The available voting history suggests strong support for the measure: it passed first reading in the Council Committee of the Whole by a 12-0 vote. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so there is no recorded public debate in the supplied materials. Based on the bill’s structure and unanimous vote, the overall sentiment appears favorable and aimed at expanding access to health coverage for working residents with disabilities.
The bill’s main policy tensions are likely to involve eligibility limits, premium obligations, and administrative oversight. It excludes people already enrolled in several District health programs, limits coverage for certain long-term care and managed care services, and allows DHCF to terminate coverage for nonpayment, failure to cooperate, or failure to meet program rules. It also requires applicants and enrollees to provide extensive documentation and permits DHCF to recover improperly paid benefits, which could raise concerns among disability advocates about access barriers, affordability, and the burden of compliance, even though the bill includes hardship relief, grace periods, and appeal rights.