A court has prohibited states from requiring Medicaid work

A federal judge in Washington's 27 March blocked an employment requirement for Medicaid, introduced in Arkansas and Kentucky, although it was not decided whether any employment requirements were incompatible with the mission of the medical assistance program for low-income people.

Фото: Depositphotos

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled that the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services' approved work requirements were "arbitrary and capricious because they failed to consider how such an innovation would affect the primary purpose of Medicaid: providing health insurance to those in need." Similar language was also used in the decision regarding a similar lawsuit against the state of Kentucky, writes Fox News.

While work requirements for Medicaid are already in effect in Arkansas, they have been delayed in Kentucky due to lawsuits. Both states want "able-bodied adults" who receive health insurance through Medicaid to work, go to school, volunteer or "be involved in community activities."

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin (Republican Party) said that the state he heads will appeal. Bevin threatened to end the Kentucky Medicaid program, which covers more than 400 000 people, if employment requirements are eventually canceled.

“There's a guy in Washington who thinks he owns Kentucky. We are right and in the end we will prove we are right. And this guy can stop the demand for a while if he wants, but it will be over,” Bevin said, apparently referring to the judge.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (Republican Party) said he was disappointed with the decision of the court and is preparing a statement about this on March 28.

The leader of the Republican Party of the Arkansas Senate said that he does not believe that the court ruling threatens the future expansion of Medicaid, which covers more than 200 000 state residents. About 18 000 people lost insurance for this program due to non-fulfillment of employment requirements.

“I don't think the state has any reason to panic. This is another obstacle in our path to try to do the best we can in Arkansas with the opportunities that the federal government and the judiciary give us,” said State Senate President Jim Hendren.

States have traditionally been given broad discretion to determine the Medicaid benefit system. Overall, Medicaid is the largest government health insurance program, covering about one in five Americans, from pregnant women and infants to the disabled and elderly in nursing homes.

Advocates for low-income people say Medicaid is a health care program and should not have work requirements.

“It is senseless and unlawful to add barriers to Medicaid for large groups of people who already work or are full-time caregivers for family members or have chronic health problems,” said Jane Perkins, legal director of the National Health Law Program, the charity that filed the sue the government.

“Work should not be the key to accessing health care,” she added.

But the administration of US President Donald Trump does not intend to surrender, said the head of the Medicare Cena Sima Verma.

“We will continue to champion our efforts to provide states with more flexibility to help lift low-income Americans out of poverty. We believe, like many previous administrations, that states are laboratories of democracy, and we will vigorously support their innovative, regionally driven initiatives to develop and implement reforms that will advance the goals of the Medicaid program,” Verma said in a statement.

President Trump supports the idea of ​​introducing employment requirements for government benefits. Last year, he signed a decree that government agencies had to add or strengthen employment requirements in benefit programs, including subsidized housing, food stamps and cash benefits.

The Department of Health and Human Services has already begun to act in this direction, urging the states to submit requests to establish employment requirements for Medicaid. Verma believes work is important for improving the health and well-being of Medicaid recipients.

Such requests from eight states were approved, although, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, not all of these regions have introduced innovations. Requests from seven other states are pending.

At the national level, about 12 million people in 37 states receive Medicaid health insurance.

Read also on ForumDaily:

How does the pension system in the US

How to live in America for the minimum wage

Where to go for help if you live hard in the US

Violence and pain in American nursing homes

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.