The rule requires that all beneficiaries work 80 hours a month.

Arkansas officials say more than 4,600 people were kicked off the state's Medicaid expansion program for not complying with a work requirement last month.

The Department of Human Services on Monday said the number of people who have lost coverage because of the requirement has grown to nearly 17,000 since the rule was enacted earlier this year. The rule requires beneficiaries to work 80 hours a month. Beneficiaries lose coverage if they don't meet the requirement for three months in a calendar year.

The department says nearly 2,000 people will lose coverage if they don't comply with the rule by the end of this month.