Medicaid enrollees, alongside several major health care advocacy organizations and the city of Columbus, Ohio, said the administration’s final rule implementing work requirements is not what Congress intended.
They argue the rule narrowly defines who qualifies for the law’s medical frailty exclusion, putting people with serious physical and mental health conditions at risk of losing Medicaid because of new reporting and verification requirements, even though Congress categorically excluded medically frail people from the requirements.
The coalition is asking a federal court in Maryland to vacate the rule, alleging it’s “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law.” The suit also alleges violations of the Administrative Procedure Act, the law governing how regulations are issued.
The work requirements are set to take effect in January. Beneficiaries who are part of the Medicaid expansion population must work or volunteer at least 80 hours per month, attend school at least part time or participate in job training.
Expansion states are responsible for ensuring working-age recipients are meeting the requirement unless they are disabled, caring for young children or have a serious health condition.
The rule implicitly links the definition of medical frailty to a person’s ability to work. To qualify for an exemption, a person must demonstrate that their condition prevented them from meeting the work requirement.
The lawsuit is the latest attempt to challenge the work requirements. In June, about two dozen states sued the Trump administration over the “medically frail” definition. A federal judge in July denied the states’ request to block the rule while the lawsuit is agued.
No comments:
Post a Comment