LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Attorneys challenging Arkansas’ Medicaid work requirement say the 17,000 Arkansans who have lost coverage as a result are evidence that the provision is a simple benefits cut that is not allowed under federal law.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs also argued in a court filing late Friday that the work requirement is having a “catastrophic effect” for low-income people.
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports the filing responded to arguments from the state and U.S. Department of Justice about whether President Donald Trump’s administration acted within its authority when it approved a waiver in March allowing the requirement.
To meet the work requirement, enrollees who don’t qualify for an exemption must spend 80 hours a month on work, volunteering or other approved activities, or risk losing coverage.
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