US judge blocks Trump rule requiring ill people to prove impairment for Medicaid work exemptions

Federal Judge Richard Stearns blocked a Trump administration rule that would have required chronically ill Medicaid recipients to prove they were “medically frail” to receive exemptions from work requirements. He sided with 25 states and the District of Columbia, which sued in June, arguing that the rule unlawfully narrowed exemptions provided by law. The law covers people who are blind or disabled, have substance use disorders or disabling mental disorders, or have serious or complex medical conditions. The administration’s rule additionally required people to show that their conditions significantly impaired their ability to meet work requirements.