Key Facts

• US District Judge Richard Stearns issued the ruling on Thursday in a lawsuit brought by 25 states and the District of Columbia.
• The administration’s rule added a requirement that people in specified medical categories show their conditions significantly impair their ability to comply with work requirements.
• The law’s medical frailty definition includes people who are blind or disabled, have substance use or disabling mental disorders, or have serious or complex medical conditions.
• Stearns said the states faced costly changes to their systems for verifying eligibility and that monetary damages would not adequately address the harm.
• Starting January 1, 2027, Medicaid expansion enrollees aged 19 to 64 must meet requirements such as working or doing community service for at least 80 hours per month, or attending school at least half time.
• The work requirements include exceptions for people considered medically frail and people in addiction treatment programmes.
• The ruling did not strike down the work requirements and upheld two other federal restrictions on how states verify medical frailty.