States gird for new Medicaid ‘medically frail’ rule

Medicaid agencies are worried that many chronically ill and disabled people might lose their health coverage due to the Trump administration's stricter criteria for "medically frail" status, which now excludes some who previously qualified for exemptions from new work requirements. This change, resulting from last year's tax and spending law, could leave vulnerable populations without necessary support. The potential loss of coverage highlights the ongoing tension between federal policy changes and state-level healthcare needs, raising questions about the balance between federal oversight and state flexibility in Medicaid.