Kentuckians bring first suit against Trump's Medicaid work requirements

More than a dozen Kentucky Medicaid enrollees are suing their Republican governor, Matt Bevin, over his newly imposed work requirements for the program. This is the first legal test of the Trump administration's new rules allowing states to impose restrictions that might be in conflict with the Medicaid statute.

The suit, filed in federal court in Washington on behalf of more than a dozen Kentucky Medicaid recipients, seeks class-action status to halt changes to the state’s Medicaid program that the administration approved this month. It says the changes go beyond what’s allowed under current Medicaid law and regulations and were imposed without following appropriate government processes. […]

About 350,000 Kentuckians would be subject to the work requirements, according to the state’s waiver application. In five years, the plan is expected to reduce Kentucky’s Medicaid enrollment by about 95,000 and save $2.4 billion.

The groups bringing the suit are the National Health Law Program, Kentucky Equal Justice Center and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

True to Republican form, Bevin has attempted to raise the stakes ahead of this inevitable legal challenge with extortion. He's announced that any legal judgement going against him on the work requirements will result in his ending Medicaid expansion all together. That would take health care away from about half a million Kentuckians.

The Kentucky plaintiffs and the groups joining them aren't bowing to his threats, which is good. The legal fight might deter some other states from following down this path.