Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration to block Medicaid work requirements, demanding that taxpayers keep footing the bill for able-bodied adults who refuse to work, volunteer, or pursue education.
The lawsuit, led by New York and California, targets an Interim Final Rule issued in early June by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The rule requires able-bodied Medicaid enrollees to work 20 hours a week, volunteer, or attend school — a baseline ask for anyone collecting free healthcare on the public dime. It also requires individuals claiming medical exemptions to provide documentation, rather than simply checking a box.
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, named as a defendant alongside HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., made the administration's case plainly:
