DOJ Asks Supreme Court to Restore Arkansas Medicaid Work Requirements

The Department of Justice has filed a request with the Supreme Court on Tuesday to restore work requirements for Medicaid in Arkansas, according to The Hill.

In its filing, the DOJ said a decision from a federal appeals court to prevent the Department of Health and Human Services from allowing work requirements in Arkansas "reflects a fundamental misreading of the statutory text and context."

The Trump administration has argued the work requirement allows Arkansas to maintain its "limited resources" by keeping certain people from getting Medicaid.

"If the court of appeals’ decision ... is allowed to stand, it very likely will be binding in litigation over any of those other projects," DOJ said. "This Court should review the D.C. Circuit’s holding before it becomes entrenched as a de facto nationwide rule."

In February,the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld a lower court decision that work requirements for Medicaid were "arbitrary and capricious."

Prior to the court blocking the requirements, more than 18,000 people lost Medicaid benefits in Arkansas.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed a petition to the Supreme Court to review the case.

“Arkansas Works’ model was designed to encourage able-bodied Arkansans without dependents to transition into the workforce, building a stronger, more resilient connection with their communities,” Rutledge said in a statement.

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