The Steady Drip

Judge Strikes Down Limited Exception to New Medicaid Requirement (Connecting the Dots: Judge Richard Stearns, Dr. Willie Underwood, American Medical Association, Louis Freeh, Bill Clinton, Phi Beta Kappa & The Carnegie/Soros Network)

The judge sided with states on one issue and the government on others.

The Epoch Times

Zachary Stieber

Senior Reporter

10/29/2026|Updated: 10/29/2026

Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks during a press briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the White House on June 2, 2026. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/judge-strikes-down-limited-exception-to-new-medicaid-requirement-6110498?ea_src=frontpage&ea_med=section-1

A federal judge ruled on Oct. 29 that the government’s attempt to limit who can qualify for an exception to new Medicaid work requirements was illegal, while upholding other restrictions the government imposed.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) over the summer issued a final rule implementing work requirements for Medicaid coverage outlined in a 2025 law.

The rule limited who can qualify for one of the available exceptions beyond what was outlined in the law, including stating that people could only meet the “medically frail” exception if they have “an individual whose physical, mental, or other behavioral health condition significantly impairs the individual’s ability to comply with the community engagement requirement.”

The policy also limited how states can verify eligibility for exceptions.

U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Massachusetts said in the ruling on Oct. 29 that CMS lacked the authority to exclude any of the individuals defined as medically frail by Congress in the law. He ordered that part of the rule excised.

“It is well-recognized that there is an inherent public interest in ensuring that the government follows the law, and because enforcement of an unlawful definition of ‘medically frail’ may lead to the disenrollment of otherwise eligible vulnerable individuals relying on Medicaid coverage for continuity of care, the States (and public) face potential for great hardship in the absence of an injunction,” the judge wrote.

He also provided states with a six-month stay of enforcement for determinations of whether individuals qualify as medically frail.

The new requirements are that individuals aged 19 to 64 must work, volunteer, or train for at least 80 hours each month or attend school to receive Medicaid coverage. Exceptions beyond being medically frail include being pregnant and being parents of children of certain ages.

CMS faces a Jan. 1, 2027, deadline for implementing the requirements.

The ruling came in response to a lawsuit from Democratic attorneys general.

Stearns did side with the government with regard to officials limiting the information that states can use to verify eligibility for exceptions to 12 months prior and restricting accepting self-attestations to once per enrollment period. He said the states had not met the threshold to strike down those limits.

“The Government provided a non-frivolous rationale for adopting each provision and explained why it did not find the States’ concerns of disenrollment compelling,” he said.

A CMS spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email that the agency does not comment on matters in pending litigation.

The American Medical Association welcomed the ruling.

“Today’s decision is a victory for patients as it strikes back against unnecessary barriers to care. The court rightly rejected a federal restriction that would have made it harder for people with serious or complex health conditions to qualify for an exemption from Medicaid work requirements,” Dr. Willie Underwood, president of the American Medical Association, told The Epoch Times via email.

“Patients should not have to clear unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles to keep their health coverage, especially hurdles that go beyond what Congress intended.”

Judge Richard G. Stearns

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_G._Stearns

Richard Gaylore Stearns (born June 27, 1944) is an American lawyer who serves as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Early life and education

Stearns was born in Los Angeles. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University in 1968 then a Master of Letters in political philosophy from Balliol College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar, in 1971. He obtained a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1976.

References

3. "James Comey Vs. Louis Freeh: How to Fight a President". June 13, 2018.

4.↑ "Federal judge rules Trump administration cannot reallocate billions meant for disaster mitigation". The Detroit News. August 5, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.

5.↑ Hugo C. Chiasson and Elise A. Spenner. "Federal Judge Dismisses Trump Administration Antisemitism Lawsuit Against Harvard". The Harvard Crimson, August 13, 2026.

Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH

American Medical Association

Specialty:Urology

Conflict of InterestMembers Only

AMA Affiliated Groups

President, AMA,Board of Trustees MembersTerm:2026-2027Email:Willie.Underwood@ama-assn.org

https://www.ama-assn.org/about/board-trustees/willie-underwood-iii-md-msc-mph

Raised in Gary, Ind., Dr. Underwood earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Morehouse College, and his Doctor of Medicine and Master of Science in anatomy and cellular biology degrees from the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, N.Y. He received his general surgery and urologic surgery training at the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Conn.

Louis Freeh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Freeh

Louis Joseph Freeh (born January 6, 1950) is an American attorney and former judge who served as the fifth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from September 1993 to June 2001.

Graduated from Rutgers University and New York University School of Law, Freeh began his career as a special agent in the FBI, and was later an Assistant United States Attorney and United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. A Republican, he was appointed as FBI director by President Bill Clinton.[1][2] He is now a lawyer and consultant in the private sector.

Early life and career

Freeh was born January 6, 1950, in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of an Italian-American mother named Bernice (née Chinchiolo), a bookkeeper, and a German-American father named William Freeh Sr., a real estate broker.[3][4] Freeh, a native of North Bergen,[5] graduated from Saint Joseph of the Palisades High School in West New York, New Jersey in 1967. He then graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rutgers University–New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971, and received a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers School of Law–Newark in 1974 and a Master of Laws degree in criminal law from New York University School of Law in 1984.

Bill Clinton

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton

College and law school years

Georgetown University

Clinton ran for president of the Student Council while attending the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

With the aid of scholarships, Clinton attended the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., receiving a Bachelor of Science in foreign service in 1968. Georgetown was the only university where Clinton applied.[21]

In 1964 and 1965, Clinton won elections for class president.[22] From 1964 to 1967, he was an intern and then a clerk in the office of Arkansas senator J. William Fulbright.[6] While in college, he became a brother of service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega[23] and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi honorary band fraternity.

Oxford

Upon graduating from Georgetown in 1968, Clinton won a Rhodes Scholarship to University College, Oxford, where he initially read for a B.Phil. in philosophy, politics, and economics but transferred to a B.Litt. in politics and, ultimately, a B.Phil. in politics.[25] Clinton did not expect to return for the second year because of the draft and so he switched programs; this type of activity was common among other Rhodes Scholars from his cohort. He was offered the opportunity to study at Yale Law School, so he left early to return to the United States and did not receive a degree from Oxford.

Connecting the Dots:

Judge Richard G. Stearns is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and was an Oxford University Rhodes Scholar.

William J. Clinton was an Oxford University Rhodes scholar, appointed FBI director Louis Freeh and elected to Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Louis Freeh was appointed as the director of the FBI by William J. Clinton and graduated Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Elena Kagan is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, an associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court and was the solicitor general for the Barack Obama administration.

Samuel Anthony Alito Jr. is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and an associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Stephen G. Breyer is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and was an associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and an associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Anthony M. Kennedy is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and was an associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

David Hackett Souter was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and an associate justice a justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Harry A. Blackmun was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and an associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Lewis F. Powell Jr. was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and an associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

John Paul Stevens was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and an associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Potter Stewart was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and an associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Byron R. White was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and an associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jimmy Carter was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and an honorary co-chairman for the Millennium Promise.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Millennium Promise and the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Madeleine K. Albright was a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

William J. Clinton attended the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Henry A. Kissinger was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a member of the Bohemian Club.

George H.W. Bush was a member of the Bohemian Club and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Belizean_Grove is the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.

Sonia Sotomayor was a member of the Belizean Grove, is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and an associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Henrietta Holsman Fore is a member of the Belizean Grove and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

James M. Manyika is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and was a research fellow at Oxford University.

Giulio Tremonti is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a fellow at Oxford University.

John Brademas was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and an Oxford University Rhodes scholar.

Judge Richard G. Stearns was an Oxford University Rhodes Scholar and is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

William J. Clinton was an Oxford University Rhodes scholar, appointed FBI director Louis Freeh, elected to Phi Beta Kappa Society and Strobe Talbott’s roommate at Oxford University.

Louis Freeh was appointed as the director of the FBI by William J. Clinton and graduated Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Strobe Talbott was William J. Clinton’s roommate at Oxford University, an Oxford University Rhodes scholar and the president of the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, a senior director at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Antoinette Cook Bush’s stepfather and Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP was lobby firm for American Medical Association.

Dr. Willie Underwood is the president of the American Medical Association and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Morehouse College.

Eric H. Holder Jr. was an intern at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and a trustee at the Morehouse School of Medicine.

Morehouse School of Medicine is a medical school at Morehouse College.

Billye Aaron is a director emeritus at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and a trustee at Morehouse College.

William M. Lewis Jr. is a co-chair emeritus for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, and a trustee at Morehouse College.

Andrew J. Young is a senior director at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and a trustee at Morehouse College.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Michael A. Lawson is a trustee at Morehouse College and was a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Antoinette Cook Bush was a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and is Vernon E. Jordan Jr’s stepdaughter.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is Antoinette Cook Bush’s stepfather, a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, a senior director at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund and the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Richard N. Haass was a VP for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and an Oxford University Rhodes scholar.

Judge Richard G. Stearns was an Oxford University Rhodes Scholar and is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

William J. Clinton was an Oxford University Rhodes scholar, appointed FBI director Louis Freeh and elected to Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Louis Freeh was appointed as the director of the FBI by William J. Clinton and graduated Phi Beta Kappa Society.

and Strobe Talbott’s roommate at Oxford University.

Strobe Talbott was William J. Clinton’s roommate at Oxford University, an Oxford University Rhodes scholar and the president of the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Walter E. Massey is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was the president of Morehouse College.

Robert M. Franklin is the president of Morehouse College and was an institutional director at the United Negro College Fund.

Linda Johnson Rice is a director at the United Negro College Fund, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and a friend of Valerie B. Jarrett.

Valerie B. Jarrett is a friend of Linda Johnson Rice, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, Vernon E. Jordan Jr’s great niece, a friend of Michelle Obama and was the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

R. Eden Martin is the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

Newton N. Minow was a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and an honorary trustee at the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Cameron F. Kerry is a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank), John F. Kerry’s brother and a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP.

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP and is a friend of Valerie B. Jarrett.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP, the candidate for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign and a parishioner at the Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago).

African American Religious Leadership Committee was an advisory group for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign.

Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. was a member of the African American Religious Leadership Committee and is pastor emeritus of at the Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago).

Oprah Winfrey was a parishioner at the Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago).

Otis Moss III is a pastor at the Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago) and a trustee at Morehouse College.

Dr. Willie Underwood earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Morehouse College and is the president of the American Medical Association.

Trumpeter Newsmagazine is a publication for the Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago).

Louis Farrakhan was awarded the 2007 Jeremiah Wright Jr. Trumpeter award from the Trumpeter Newsmagazine, the organizer for the Million Man March, the acting head for the Nation of Islam and Hakeem Jeffries’s uncle.

Hakeem Jeffries is Louis Farrakhan’s nephew, received his MPP from Georgetown University, an American politician and attorney who has served as House minority leader, the leader of the House Democratic Caucus since 2023 and was in private practice at the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.

Madeleine K. Albright was a professor at Georgetown University and a professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

William J. Clinton attended the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa Society.

David M. Rubenstein was a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, spent Thanksgiving with Joe Biden, is the president of the Economic Club of Washington, a co-chairman for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a co-founder & co-CEO for the Carlyle Group.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP and was the president of the Economic Club of Washington.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP was lobby firm for American Medical Association.

Dr. Willie Underwood is the president of the American Medical Association and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Morehouse College.

Jerome H. Powell (Jay) was a partner at the Carlyle Group and is the Chairman for the Federal Reserve System.

George H.W. Bush was an adviser for the Carlyle Group, a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and a member of the Bohemian Club.