STAT+: Federal judge rejects new Medicaid ‘frailty’ definition for work requirements

The rollout of Medicaid work requirements may be delayed past the start of the year after a federal judge on Thursday rejected the federal government’s new definition of “medical frailty” and ruled that states did not have adequate time or resources to overhaul eligibility systems. Judge Richard D. Stearns of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts ruled that federal regulations on who is too sick to work were too restrictive, and said that the suit from more than two dozen states successfully demonstrated that implementation of the Medicaid work requirements, as written, would cause “irreparable harm.” “Because enforcement of an unlawful definition of ‘medically frail’ may lead to the disenrollment of otherwise eligible vulnerable individuals relying on Medicaid coverage for continuity of care, the States (and public) face potential for great hardship in the absence of an injunction,” Stearns wrote in his order. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe