WASHINGTON (AP) — Within the midst of a pandemic, the Supreme Courtroom mentioned Friday it is going to take up the Trump administration’s stalled plan to permit states to require low-income individuals to work to obtain well being care beneath Medicaid.

The timing of the courtroom’s determination to take up the problem was curious as a result of by the point the case is argued in late winter or early spring, Joe Biden might be president and his administration is unlikely to proceed President Donald Trump’s plan to remake Medicaid by requiring recipients to work.

And when Congress earlier this 12 months elevated Medicaid funding, it barred states from proscribing eligibility in the course of the public well being emergency.

Even so, the courtroom agreed to evaluate lower-court choices involving Arkansas and New Hampshire that discovered that the administration’s assist for work necessities went past what’s allowed by regulation.

Medicaid is a $600 billion federal-state program that covers about 70 million individuals, from pregnant girls and newborns to disabled individuals and aged nursing house residents. Underneath the Obama-era Reasonably priced Care Act, states gained the choice of increasing this system to many low-income adults beforehand ineligible. Greater than 12 million individuals have gained protection in consequence.

The Trump administration allowed states to require “able-bodied” adults drawing Medicaid advantages to work, volunteer or examine.

Earlier than the pandemic, practically 20 states had tried to implement necessities after the administration invited them in 2017 to submit such proposals. Kentucky, an early adopter, has reversed course beneath a Democratic governor and dropped its necessities.

Trump additionally has supported work necessities for safety-net applications throughout the federal government. He signed an govt order directing Cupboard businesses so as to add or strengthen work necessities for applications together with sponsored housing, meals stamps and money welfare.

___