Conisha Gatewood of Arkansas, who has a job selling cellphones, lost her Medicaid coverage after getting conflicting instructions about whether she needed to report searching for a job. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

A judge has ruled that states cannot condition Medicaid eligibility on being employed, contradicting a rule change created by the Trump administration last year. While all so-called “work requirements” include exemptions for people with legitimate reasons for having difficulty finding and maintaining employment, advocates have been concerned that the exemptions do not adequately protect people with disabilities.