Manatt’s Patricia Boozang, senior managing director at Manatt Health, spoke to FierceHealthcare about a recent ruling by a District of Columbia court that blocks Medicaid work requirements in Kentucky and Arkansas.
Judge Boasberg said that in approving the programs, the Trump administration had failed to consider whether these work requirements would provide adequate insurance coverage to low-income people. Under the ruling, the Department of Health and Human Services will have to reconsider its waiver approvals and provide compelling reasons why work requirements are necessary for the Medicaid program.
Boozang noted that these rulings apply only in Arkansas and Kentucky, so the other seven states where these waivers have been approved will still be able to roll out such programs.
“You might think that the administration would consider slowing down its approvals, but I don’t think that’s going to happen, to be honest,” she said. “Even [CMS Administrator] Seema Verma’s comments following the approvals sort of made clear that CMS still stands behind its policy.”
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