U.S. judge blocks Medicaid work requirements in Kentucky, Arkansas
(Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday overturned the Trump administration’s approval of plans by the states of Kentucky and Arkansas to impose new work requirements on people seeking to obtain benefits from the Medicaid health insurance program.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington ruled that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services acted arbitrarily in approving the plans put forward by Kentucky and Arkansas.
The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The decision came in separate lawsuits by Kentucky and Arkansas residents enrolled in Medicaid. It marked a setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to scale back the joint federal-and-state healthcare program for the poor and disabled.
Kentucky and Arkansas are among seven states that have received approval by Health and Human Services under Republican U.S. President Donald Trump to impose requirements that people seeking coverage under Medicaid engage in work or work-related activities, like job training.
Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Phil Berlowitz
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.