Lawsuit claims Arkansas Medicaid work requirements stripped coverage from 17,000

Nearly 17,000 Arkansas residents have lost Medicaid coverage due to new work requirements, according to a court filing obtained by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

In the filing, plaintiffs argued that requiring beneficiaries to work or volunteer for 80 hours per month should be not be allowed under federal law. The plaintiffs referred to the measure, which began rolling out in June, as a "simple benefits cut."

The court documents concern a lawsuit filed Aug. 14 by National Health Law Program, Legal Aid of Arkansas and the Southern Poverty Law Center. The lawsuit aims to stop the implementation of Medicaid work requirements in Arkansas.

The most recent filing responded to arguments from the state and Department of Justice about whether the federal government's approval of the work requirements is lawful, according to the report.

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