New Hampshire Attorney General will appeal federal Medicaid work requirement ruling

Aug. 2--CONCORD -- New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald plans to appeal a federal judge's ruling that halted plans to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients.

The work requirement proposal, passed by the state legislature last year, needed approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The plan required anyone covered by expanded Medicaid, known as Granite Advantage, to complete 100 hours of work or approved community activities each month to keep their Medicaid health insurance, unless they are too frail to work, or fall into other exceptions listed in the law.

Four New Hampshire residents filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, arguing against the proposal's federal approval.

In his Monday ruling, Judge James Boasberg sided with the New Hampshire residents who filed the suit. The same judge earlier this year blocked Arkansas and Kentucky from moving forward with similar plans.

Boasberg said in his ruling that the work requirement plan did not contend with the possibility that New Hampshire's proposal could cause a substantial number of people to lose health insurance. Of the approximately 50,000 New Hampshire residents covered by Medicaid, about 16,800 could lose coverage if they do not meet the work requirements.

Responding to the federal judge's ruling Monday, Gov. Chris Sununu said the ruling was only the first step in a process.

"We are confident that New Hampshire's work requirement will ultimately be upheld," Sununu said.

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