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September 28, 2026

Takeaways from the most recent news in the technology and policies shaping healthcare.

Government

25 States Sue Trump Administration Over Medicaid Work Rules

By Healthcare Technology News ·

A coalition of 25 states and Washington, D.C. filed suit on June 29 against the Trump administration over CMS' interim final rule on Medicaid work requirements, according to Becker's Hospital Review. The 74-page complaint, lodged in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, targets the agency's June 3 rule, which spells out how states must verify that enrollees are working, in school, or volunteering to keep coverage.

The Democratic attorneys general and governors argue CMS skipped the standard notice-and-comment rulemaking process by issuing the rule as an interim final rule, taking effect without public input. Work requirements have a contested track record: prior efforts in states like Arkansas led to thousands losing coverage over paperwork and reporting hurdles rather than actual employment gaps.

The outcome will shape whether millions of Medicaid enrollees face new administrative conditions to retain coverage. For hospitals and health systems, more uninsured patients means higher uncompensated care costs, making the litigation a financial as well as a policy fight.

Sources

More in Government

Government

Ashish Jha Warns AI Is Lowering the Bar for Bioweapons

Ashish Jha warns in STAT News that AI is eroding the barriers that kept biological weapons rare, and defenses will take years the world cannot spare.

Why it matters: If AI makes bioweapons easier to build faster than defenses can be developed, the risk to public health and national security grows sharply.

Government

AMA, AHA Push to Exempt Doctors From $103K H-1B Fee

The AMA and AHA are asking DHS to exempt clinicians from a proposed $103,265 H-1B visa fee they say would gut physician recruiting in underserved areas.

Why it matters: Hospitals depend on foreign-trained physicians to staff rural and underserved communities, and a six-figure visa fee could deepen existing shortages.

Government

DOJ Accuses UCSF Medical School of Racial Discrimination

The DOJ's Civil Rights Division accused UCSF's medical school of race-based discrimination in admissions from 2023 to 2025, the latest in a wave of federal findings against medical schools.

Why it matters: Federal scrutiny of medical school admissions could reshape how the next generation of physicians is selected and the diversity of the clinical workforce.