States Challenge New Medicaid Work Requirements in Boston Court

A federal judge in Boston heard arguments from about two dozen states contesting the Biden administration’s new Medicaid work-requirement rule.

The states claim Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overstepped his statutory authority when defining exemption criteria and that the rule’s rollout is arbitrary and capricious.

While the court case proceeds, Medicaid directors from across the country gathered in Maryland to discuss how to apply the contested requirements if they survive legal scrutiny.

The challenge is part of a wider wave of lawsuits targeting the administration’s health-policy changes, adding uncertainty for state Medicaid programs.