No Borders NewsWashington Attorney General Nick Brown, along with 23 other attorneys general and two governors, filed a lawsuit challenging a federal Medicaid rule that would introduce work requirements for certain Medicaid recipients.
The complaint targets an interim final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on June 3, 2026. The rule is titled “Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals,” and the coalition says it changes how key terms—such as who is “medically frail”—can qualify for exemptions.
The lawsuit argues that Congress built exemptions into Medicaid work requirements to prevent people with serious illnesses and disabilities from losing coverage or having interruptions in care. The coalition says the interim final rule narrows those protections and makes it harder for medically vulnerable people to be excused from the requirements.
The filing also says the federal rule increases administrative burdens and red tape, and that it does not provide states with clear or workable guidance. The coalition points to past Medicaid work requirement programs as evidence that added paperwork and reporting barriers can cause eligible people to lose coverage, even when they are working or otherwise qualify for an exemption.
According to the release, the work requirement provision is set to begin January 1, 2027, while states must notify Medicaid recipients starting August 31, 2026. In Washington, Medicaid is called Apple Health and covers about 1.9 million people, including individuals experiencing homelessness and people with serious or complex medical conditions. The lawsuit asks a court to block the interim rule’s challenged provisions.