Today's deep dive explains a federal court ruling that strikes CMS's narrower "medically frail" test for Medicaid work requirements, two months before the rules take effect. Below are the day's other stories, each linked to its source.
Today's deep dive
Medicaid work rules: court strikes CMS 'medically frail' test. A federal judge in Boston ruled Oct. 29 that people in the five groups Congress listed don't also have to show they can't meet the work requirement to be exempt. He upheld a 12-month lookback on proof and a one-attestation limit, and the Jan. 1, 2027, start date stands. We explain what changed and what it means for provider agencies and DSPs.
More news today
Minnesota: Waiver Reimagine won't launch in 2027. In its Oct. 29 quarterly update, the Department of Human Services says the new Disability Waiver Program, which folds four disability Medicaid waivers into an Individual Support Waiver and a Residential Support Waiver, will not start in 2027, and a new timeline isn't set yet. DHS has paused work on Residential Support Waiver budget ranges and may revise the Individual Support Waiver ranges again. Its Expert Panel held its final meeting Oct. 27, and an advisory task force report is due to the Legislature by Jan. 15, 2027. Read our 2024 story on the redesign. Source: Minnesota Department of Human Services
Minnesota: fraud unit serves warrants at two autism service providers. Attorney General Keith Ellison's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, working with HHS-OIG and the FBI, executed search warrants Oct. 29 at Iska, Inc. in St. Louis Park and Bright Horizon Therapy Center in Edina. Both provide EIDBI autism services and other Medicaid-funded services, and both are under investigation for Medicaid fraud. No charges were announced. Source: Minnesota Attorney General's Office
Virginia: paid parent caregivers struggle with real-time reporting. Radio IQ reports that parents paid through Medicaid to care for children with disabilities say the state's new real-time visit reporting app, which started Oct. 1, is causing problems and leaves them worried about going over authorized hours. The Department of Medical Assistance Services has sent letters warning that repeated failure to use the system "may result in corrective action." Del. Kathy Tran says she hopes to bring back the option to use the old system in 2027. Read our story on how states check home care claims against EVV. Source: Radio IQ via WHRO
EEOC rescinds 2012 guidance on arrest and conviction records. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission voted Oct. 28 to withdraw its 2012 enforcement guidance on how employers may consider arrest and conviction records under Title VII, effective immediately. The agency says the move does not restore older policy statements, does not require employers to drop lawful practices they adopted, and does not change Title VII's ban on race and national origin discrimination. Providers that screen job applicants may want to review their hiring policies with counsel. Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
AARP: family caregivers now spend $11,508 a year out of pocket. AARP's 2026 caregiving cost study, released Oct. 28, finds average out-of-pocket spending is up almost 60% since 2021 and equals 31% of caregivers' household income, rising to 76% for households under $40,000. Housing and medical costs make up 71% of the total, and 65% of working caregivers reported a work disruption. The report's authors call for tax credits, paid leave for working caregivers and expanded home care options, Stateline reports. Read our 2025 story on AARP's state rankings. Sources: AARP, Stateline