Attorney General Bonta Wins Court Ruling: Federal Court Vacates Medicaid 'Medically Frail' Definition and Issues Permanent Injunction
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on October 29 that the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts had ruled the Trump Administration's implementation of new Medicaid work requirements unlawful, vacating the federal definition of "medically frail," issuing a permanent injunction, and granting the plaintiff states a six-month stay of enforcement.
Bonta and a multistate coalition sued in June 2026 over an interim final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under the Big Beautiful Bill Act, which adopted a narrower interpretation of "medically frail" and made it harder for medically vulnerable people to be excused from the work requirements. The court held the definition contrary to law.
"Today's decision is a major victory that ensures that some of our most vulnerable residents are able to continue to access the healthcare they deserve," Bonta said. "People with serious illnesses or disabilities should not have to worry about losing their healthcare because of work requirements or related barriers."
Medicaid is the nation's safety-net health program for low-income Americans, jointly funded by the states and the federal government, which covers at least 50 percent of the cost of services. Congress created exemptions from the work requirements to ensure people with serious illnesses and disabilities do not lose coverage.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：萨克拉门托的加州总检察长办公室大楼。Coolcaesar 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The California Attorney General's office building in Sacramento. Photo by Coolcaesar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
