Round Two: Kentuckians Sue Trump Administration Again Over Re-Approved Work Requirements to Medicaid
Lawsuit Re-Filed in Federal Court, Challenging Newly Approved Work Requirements, After Same Court Ruled Last Year that Administration鈥檚 Action was 鈥淎rbitrary and Capricious鈥�
WASHINGTON 鈥� More than a dozen Kentuckians enrolled in Medicaid re-filed their lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging its re-approval of work requirements and unreasonable premiums to Kentucky鈥檚 Medicaid program.听 The lawsuit comes after the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in June 2018, Kentucky鈥檚 effort to add work requirements to the state鈥檚 Medicaid program was 鈥渁rbitrary and capricious.鈥�
The Court vacated the approval and found the U.S. Department Health and Human Service failed to consider how the requirements would impact the estimated 95,000 Kentuckians that would be removed from Medicaid.听 The federal government then reapproved the same request from Kentucky, with an effective date of April 1, 2019.听 Plaintiffs refiled their lawsuit in the same court, and seek to have this new approval also declared to be arbitrary and capricious.听
The plaintiffs are represented by (KEJC), the Southern Poverty Law Center (人兽性交), and (NHeLP). Jenner & Block is counsel to NHeLP in this case.听 A lawsuit is also pending over Arkansas鈥� approval of the state鈥檚 work requirements that has seen at least 17,000 people losing their Medicaid health coverage.听
人兽性交 Deputy Legal Director Samuel Brooke said, 鈥淭he Trump administration鈥檚 desire to explode Medicaid and transform it into a work program seems to have no limits.听 After being declared arbitrary and capricious last year, the administration has now issued a virtually identical re-approval letter; it should face a similar fate and be declared illegal.
鈥淯nfortunately, the experience in Arkansas has shown us that we are right to fear that this added red tape will result in people going without care.听 This is why we are seeking to block the Kentucky approval before it kicks some 95,000 Kentuckians off of the program.听 Medicaid was intended to provide health coverage and care to the most vulnerable populations.听 The approval of Kentucky鈥檚 work requirement is HHS鈥檚 attempt to re-write the Medicaid Act and abuse the Administration鈥檚 authority under the Constitution.
We will not be deterred. We will continue to defend the rights of individuals to access care through Kentucky鈥檚 Medicaid program.鈥�
For the plaintiffs鈥� individual stories, see the complaint.
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