Judge lets Medicaid work-rule for chronically ill patients move forward, with future challenges possible

A federal judge declined to block the rule requiring chronically ill Medicaid beneficiaries to prove they can’t work to keep coverage, keeping the policy in place ahead of a Jan. 1 implementation as the broader legal challenge continues; injunction denied without prejudice, allowing renewed challenges if new harms surface, while doctors warn of administrative burdens and potential impacts on patient care.