How could Medicaid work rules affect SSDI beneficiaries before Medicare begins?

A KFF brief says the 2025 reconciliation law’s Medicaid work requirements, starting in 2027 or earlier in some states, could disrupt coverage for SSDI applicants and beneficiaries waiting for Medicare. The risk is that narrow medical frailty rules may make exemptions hard to get, threatening a Medicaid bridge many rely on during the 24-month Medicare wait.