Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced that the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts has blocked a federal definition of “medical frailty” that determines who is exempt from Medicaid work requirements under the Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Tong joined a multistate lawsuit in June 2026 challenging provisions of an interim final rule issued earlier this year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The lawsuit alleged that the rule’s new interpretation of terms such as “medically frail” makes it harder for medically vulnerable people to be excused from the work requirements.

The court held that the administration’s definition of medical frailty is contrary to law, vacated the language and issued a permanent injunction. It also granted the plaintiff states a six-month stay of enforcement to accommodate any errors or delays resulting from the necessary changes to implementation.

Tong said: “This was another web of useless red tape concocted by Trump to deny millions of Americans access to healthcare. We sued and we stopped him, and we’re going to keep fighting to protect access to Medicaid free from arbitrary and cruel bureaucratic barriers.”

Medicaid is a healthcare program for low-income Americans, jointly funded by states and the federal government. Congress created exemptions from the work requirements so people with serious illnesses and disabilities do not lose coverage or face interruptions in care.

Tong’s office said past Medicaid work requirement programs have shown that added red tape causes eligible people to lose coverage, straining safety net providers and emergency rooms.