---
title: "Trump Administration Rule on Medicaid Work Requirements Blocked by Federal Judge"
url: https://newscentral.site/trump-administration-rule-on-medicaid-work-requirements-blocked/
language: en
publisher: "News Central Site"
section: "Health"
published: 2026-10-29T19:32:16.000Z
updated: 2026-10-30T01:24:14.656Z
id: fbcdff68-8635-499b-9577-529956061d3c
source: "ABC News Health https://abcnews.com/Health/wireStory/judge-blocks-trump-administrations-medicaid-rule-forcing-sick-137684178"
attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/trump-administration-rule-on-medicaid-work-requirements-blocked/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story."
---

# Trump Administration Rule on Medicaid Work Requirements Blocked by Federal Judge

A US federal judge has blocked a new Trump administration rule that would have forced chronically ill Medicaid recipients to prove they are frail before qualifying for exemptions from work requirements.

A federal judge has blocked a new Trump administration rule that would have forced chronically ill Medicaid recipients to prove they are frail before qualifying for exemptions from work requirements.

The ruling was handed down by U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston on Thursday, granting partial victory to a coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia that sued the administration over the new guidance.

The Trump administration had linked its rule to the "One Big Beautiful Bill", a 2025 law aimed at restructuring Medicare and Medicaid. The CMS guidance sought to define medically frail individuals as those who meet specific criteria, including blindness or disability, substance use disorders, disabling mental disorders, or serious medical conditions.

However, the CMS rule went further than what is required by the law, mandating that people in these categories prove their conditions also significantly impair their ability to comply with work requirements.

A federal judge has ruled that a Medicaid rule introduced by the Trump administration is unlawful in certain aspects.

The stricter rule would have forced individuals with qualifying medical conditions to prove not only their eligibility for Medicaid but also that they are significantly impaired in their ability to comply with work requirements. The plaintiffs argued that this provision was an overreach of the law itself, preventing eligible Americans from accessing the care they need.

In his 16-page ruling, Judge Stearns agreed with the states' assertion that they would incur significant costs and disruptions if forced to implement the stricter rule. He stated that monetary damages could not adequately compensate for these burdens, which include changing eligibility verification systems.

Judge Stearns upheld other federal restrictions on how states verify medical frailty, including a policy requiring them to reject proof of diagnosis if it is more than a year old.

The Trump administration's new Medicaid rule has been dealt a major blow by a federal judge, who blocked key provisions forcing sick recipients to prove their frailty in order to qualify for benefits.

The ruling effectively puts on hold a policy that requires states to verify the medical frailty of expansion enrollees aged 19 to 64 through certain documents and proof. However, the judge did uphold other federal restrictions on how states can verify medical frailty, including a rule that rejects proof of diagnosis if it is more than a year old.

The new Medicaid rules were set to take effect on January 1, with expansion enrollees facing penalties unless they meet work or community service requirements. The ruling has significant implications for millions of Americans who rely on the government's safety net healthcare program, particularly those in lower-income households who may struggle to meet these new demands.

---
Source: [ABC News Health](https://abcnews.com/Health/wireStory/judge-blocks-trump-administrations-medicaid-rule-forcing-sick-137684178)  
Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/trump-administration-rule-on-medicaid-work-requirements-blocked/