Giving Compass' Take:

• A federal judge has struck down a Trump administration decision allowing states to institute work requirements for Medicaid. This ruling prevents Kentucky's HEALTH work requirement from going into place.

• Is it likely that this ruling will be overturned? How would work requirements impact Medicaid recipients? 

• Read a doctor's perspective on work requirements for Medicaid. 

On June 29th, a federal judge struck down a Trump administration decision allowing states to force low-income adults to work to qualify for Medicaid.

The 60-page ruling, which is likely to be appealed, was hailed by advocates for the poor. But it could limit the number of states expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

"At minimum, the Secretary failed to 'adequately analyze' coverage," wrote Judge James Boasberg. "There are two basic elements to that problem: First, whether the project would cause recipients to lose coverage. Second, whether the project would help promote coverage. The Secretary, however, neglected both."

Boasberg also noted that "the Secretary never provided a bottom-line estimate of how many people would lose Medicaid with Kentucky HEALTH in place. This oversight is glaring, especially given that the risk of lost coverage was "factually substantiated in the record."

The case has been closely watched because work has never been a condition for receiving health coverage through Medicaid.

The ruling by the U.S. District Court immediately blocks Kentucky from moving ahead with implementing its work requirement, which was scheduled to begin its rollout July 1st.

Read the full article about Medicaid work requirements by Phil Galewitz at Governing Magazine.