Judge halts HHS’s $11B cuts to state healthcare programs
A federal judge has issued an injunction against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), temporarily blocking the agency's plan to cut $11 billion in public health funding allocated to state programs.
In the April 3 ruling, Judge Mary McElroy from the Rhode Island district court sided with a coalition of 23 states and Washington, D.C., suing the federal government for pulling the money, which was to be used to curb the opioid crisis and track outbreaks of infectious diseases and fund community health initiatives.
McElroy granted the emergency restraining order, agreeing with the plaintiffs that the public would suffer if state programs were to pull back services or shut down. The court also questioned the legal standing of HHS to deny states grants passed by Congress, as the $11 billion extends from policy made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
HHS had sent states a notice in March declaring the pandemic over, effectively clawing back money promised to states. The states argued that the grants are used broadly for the public good, and losing the money would not only be a blow to the health of their populations but also a hit to state employees.
Several of the states said they would be forced to lay off workers if they lost the hundreds of millions of dollars allocated to them by Congress.
In issuing the ruling, McElroy said the multi-state coalition’s “likelihood of success on the merits was extremely strong,” adding that there was a “voluminous record” of evidence that states would be irreparably harmed by the cuts.
In a statement, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison praised the decision, blasting President Donald Trump for pulling funding that would have been used for “modernizing critical public health infrastructure.”
“Donald Trump's contempt for both the rule of law and the people of Minnesota was on full display when he tried to illegally cut $250 million in public health funding to Minnesota," Ellison said. "The funds Trump tried to pull go towards mental health and substance abuse services, emergency preparedness, disease management and so many other important purposes that benefit Minnesotans.”
“I am pleased to have halted these devastating cuts, at least for the time being, and I look forward to continuing to litigate this case and protect the health and well-being of Minnesotans,” Ellison added.
Those suing the federal government include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin, joined by Washington D.C.
The court will hear arguments on April 16 and make a more permanent ruling. If HHS loses, it could ultimately appeal all the way to the Supreme Court.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.