US States Challenge Government Over Sick Citizens

On Monday, twenty-five states started a lawsuit in Massachusetts. The District of Columbia joined these states in the court. They went to court because they hate a new rule. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services created this rule. The new rule changes the Medicaid healthcare program. Medicaid helps poor and very sick people in America. In January, new work requirements will begin for Medicaid. People must work eighty hours every month under this law. They can also volunteer or study part-time in school. But the law has exceptions for medically frail people. Medically frail means people with very weak or bad health. For example, cancer patients cannot work eighty hours. The new rule makes these exceptions very small and difficult. Now, sick people must prove their bad health to CMS. They will jump through many administrative hoops to get help. This means they must fill out many difficult forms. States talked to the government for months before this rule. But the government surprised the states with this strict rule. The states did not expect these hard new standards. In their opinion, many poor people will lose healthcare. Sick people cannot get their medicine without this program. The states want the court to stop the rule immediately. However, government officials want to stop waste and abuse. Officials expect these rules to help the program. Congress wanted broad exclusions for these vulnerable people. They want to protect vulnerable citizens from losing coverage. Disabled people need this medical care to stay alive. So, the states will fight the government in court. The court must decide on this case very soon.