Judge Rejects Medicaid Rule Defining 'Medically Frail'

A federal judge on Thursday blocked one of President Trump's new Medicaid work rules, saying the administration overstepped in narrowing who counts as "medically frail." US District Judge Richard Stearns found that guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services went beyond what Congress authorized in the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act and was therefore "contrary to law," Politico reports.

The decision, which sides with 25 Democratic-led states and DC, blocks only the frailty definition while leaving the national 80-hours-a-month work, school, or volunteer requirement intact for Medicaid expansion enrollees. The judge agreed with the plaintiffs that the more restrictive rule would prevent eligible Americans from accessing the care they need, per the AP. States must now wait at least six months after the work rules begin in January before cutting off coverage for people seeking a medical exemption, giving time to revamp verification systems. There was no word on whether the government will appeal.