Four Democratic attorneys general sue to stop Trump's Medicaid work requirements

Four Democratic state attorneys general sued the Trump administration on Thursday to stop its plan to require work for Medicaid coverage. Medicaid is the joint federal-state health program for low-income people. The attorneys general of Oregon, Minnesota, New Mexico and Washington filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Oregon ¹.

They argue that Congress and the administration exceeded their constitutional authority by requiring states to carry out the changes ¹. The requirements are set to begin in 2027 ¹.

What the law requires

The 2025 tax and spending law backed by President Trump and congressional Republicans requires Medicaid enrollees ages 19 to 64 to prove, through monthly paperwork, that they work, attend school or volunteer at least 80 hours a month ¹. That age range includes adults in their 50s and early 60s who are not yet old enough for Medicare.

The law exempts people who are pregnant or postpartum, disabled or medically frail, and parents or caretakers of children younger than 14. People with disabilities and American Indians and Alaska Natives are also exempt ¹.

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What the states expect

Oregon estimates the rules will apply to nearly 40% of the more than 1.4 million people in the Oregon Health Plan, its Medicaid program. The Oregon Health Authority estimates a third of those people may lose coverage because of the extra paperwork ¹.

In Washington, more than 1.9 million residents are covered through Apple Health. State officials estimate at least 20% of members, about 120,000 people, may lose coverage ¹. Rural communities are expected to be hit hardest, and state officials expect rural health facilities to face greater financial hardship ¹.

It would be the height of bureaucratic cruelty to rip away someone’s life-saving healthcare just because of unreasonable paperwork

This red tape will make people lose their health insurance, stop going to the doctor when they’re sick and rely on our public hospitals for emergency care when inevitable health issues spiral out of control.

Mehmet Oz, who runs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are named as defendants, along with their agencies ¹. A spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the agency does not comment on pending litigation. Health department spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday morning ¹.

A second legal front

This is not the first challenge. On June 29, Oregon announced it had joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and two governors suing over a separate federal rule. That rule, published June 3, 2026, carries out the work requirements ².

That suit says the rule narrows Congress's protections for medically frail recipients and ignores evidence that reporting requirements cost people coverage because of administrative barriers ². The new case goes further. It challenges the constitutional footing of the requirements themselves ¹.

What happens next

The court has not yet ruled, and the reports do not say whether the states have asked for an immediate order. The requirements apply starting January 1, 2027 ². Judges could act before then.

That matters because the paperwork burden falls on people who are already sick or poor. The pattern in the states' estimates is that many who lose coverage would be people who qualify but cannot document it. That is the states' projection, not a court finding.

The Record

1. Jul 1, 2025The 2025 federal tax and spending law set new Medicaid work and paperwork requirements for enrollees ages 19 to 64 ¹.
2. Jun 3, 2026HHS and CMS published the interim final rule carrying out the work requirements ².
3. Jun 29, 2026Oregon announced it joined a multistate suit challenging that rule ².
4. Nov 5, 2026Attorneys general of Oregon, Minnesota, New Mexico and Washington sued in U.S. District Court in Oregon ¹.

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<h2>Four Democratic attorneys general sue to stop Trump&#39;s Medicaid work requirements</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Kitchen-Table Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/four-democratic-attorneys-general-sue-to-stop-trump-s-medicaid-work-requirements">The GOP Files</a> on Friday, November 6, 2026.</em></p> <p>Four Democratic state attorneys general sued the Trump administration on Thursday to stop its plan to require work for Medicaid coverage. Medicaid is the joint federal-state health program for low-income people. The attorneys general of Oregon, Minnesota, New Mexico and Washington filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Oregon .</p> <p>They argue that Congress and the administration exceeded their constitutional authority by requiring states to carry out the changes . The requirements are set to begin in 2027 .</p> <h2>What the law requires</h2> <p>The 2025 tax and spending law backed by President Trump and congressional Republicans requires Medicaid enrollees ages 19 to 64 to prove, through monthly paperwork, that they work, attend school or volunteer at least 80 hours a month . That age range includes adults in their 50s and early 60s who are not yet old enough for Medicare.</p> <p>The law exempts people who are pregnant or postpartum, disabled or medically frail, and parents or caretakers of children younger than 14. People with disabilities and American Indians and Alaska Natives are also exempt .</p> <h2>What the states expect</h2> <p>Oregon estimates the rules will apply to nearly 40% of the more than 1.4 million people in the Oregon Health Plan, its Medicaid program. The Oregon Health Authority estimates a third of those people may lose coverage because of the extra paperwork .</p> <p>In Washington, more than 1.9 million residents are covered through Apple Health. State officials estimate at least 20% of members, about 120,000 people, may lose coverage . Rural communities are expected to be hit hardest, and state officials expect rural health facilities to face greater financial hardship .</p> <blockquote><p>It would be the height of bureaucratic cruelty to rip away someone’s life-saving healthcare just because of unreasonable paperwork</p><p>&mdash; Dan Rayfield, Oregon Attorney General, Democrat</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>This red tape will make people lose their health insurance, stop going to the doctor when they’re sick and rely on our public hospitals for emergency care when inevitable health issues spiral out of control.</p><p>&mdash; Nick Brown, Washington Attorney General, Democrat</p></blockquote> <p>Mehmet Oz, who runs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are named as defendants, along with their agencies . A spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the agency does not comment on pending litigation. Health department spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday morning .</p> <h2>A second legal front</h2> <p>This is not the first challenge. On June 29, Oregon announced it had joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and two governors suing over a separate federal rule. That rule, published June 3, 2026, carries out the work requirements .</p> <p>That suit says the rule narrows Congress&#39;s protections for medically frail recipients and ignores evidence that reporting requirements cost people coverage because of administrative barriers . The new case goes further. It challenges the constitutional footing of the requirements themselves .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>The court has not yet ruled, and the reports do not say whether the states have asked for an immediate order. The requirements apply starting January 1, 2027 . Judges could act before then.</p> <p>That matters because the paperwork burden falls on people who are already sick or poor. The pattern in the states&#39; estimates is that many who lose coverage would be people who qualify but cannot document it. That is the states&#39; projection, not a court finding.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/four-democratic-attorneys-general-sue-to-stop-trump-s-medicaid-work-requirements">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/four-democratic-attorneys-general-sue-to-stop-trump-s-medicaid-work-requirements.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Stateline, “Four state AGs sue over Trump’s Medicaid work requirements” (2026-11-06). stateline.org/2026/11/06/repub/four-state-ags-sue-over-trump
2. Oregon Department of Justice, “AG Rayfield sues Trump over unlawful implementation of Medicaid work requirements” (2026-06-29). doj.state.or.us/media-home/news-media-releases/ag-rayfield-s

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