Who Gets Treatment? Medicaid and the Changing Rules of Recovery

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Millions of people with a substance use disorder (SUD) living in the U.S. face uncertainty as a January 1, 2027, deadline approaches that will require Medicaid recipients to fulfill work requirements. Under the new regulations, Medicaid recipients would need to complete 80 hours per month of work, education, or community service, among other changes. There is an exemption for people diagnosed with SUD or in SUD treatment programs; however, administrators worry that the burden of paperwork and limited resources available to an at-risk population will leave many people without care. Further compounding challenges faced by some in addiction treatment is the recent politicization and criminalization of harm reduction services that aim to curb the harms of drug use.

Join the Pulitzer Center for a virtual webinar exploring what this policy change means for addiction treatment across the United States. The conversation will feature Pulitzer Center StoryReach U.S. Fellow Andy Steiner along with state and national health policy experts and providers. Together, the panelists will reflect on Steiner’s reporting project How Change in Washington Impacts Addiction Treatment in Minnesota and discuss how work requirements, eligibility verifications, and harm reduction restrictions may affect people seeking help.

On November 18, the panelists will contribute perspectives from journalism, national health policy, and lived experience to highlight the impacts of these changes. Attendees will gain insight into the effects of policy change on communities nationwide.

The conversation will be moderated by William C. Moyers, followed by an audience Q&A. Registration is required. Click here to register. 

Panelists

• Andy Steiner has been a mental health and addiction columnist for MinnPost, a nonprofit news outlet in Minnesota, for at least 10 years. An award-winning freelance writer, she has also worked as editor of the Minnesota Women's Press and senior editor at Utne Reader magazine. Steiner has published four nonfiction books: on parenting, girls and women's sports, and survivors of traumatic life events.
• Katy Armendariz is the founder of the Roots Wellness Center, an award-winning, immigrant-owned behavioral health organization she launched in 2013 to transform how communities access healing and recovery services. A Korean adoptee, social worker, and nationally recognized systems-change advocate, she combines lived experience with clinical expertise to advance culturally rooted, trauma-informed approaches that bridge behavioral health, community healing, and social justice. Her work is recognized for challenging traditional models of care while creating innovative solutions that improve access, strengthen communities, and advance health equity.
• Natasha Murphy is a health policy strategist with expertise in health care affordability, insurance markets, and coverage reform. She helps policymakers, organizational leaders, and advocates navigate complex legislative and regulatory issues by translating evidence into practical, actionable policy solutions. As director of health policy at the Center for American Progress, Murphy leads the organization's research and policy development on issues affecting the affordability, accessibility, and performance of the U.S. health care system. 

Moderator

William C. Moyers is the vice president of public affairs and community relations for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, based in Minnesota. As the organization’s public advocate since 1996, Moyers carries the message about addiction, treatment, and recovery to audiences across the nation.