Case: Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Oz

1:26-cv-12962 | U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

Filed Date: June 29, 2026

Case Ongoing

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Case Summary

This is a case challenging an interim final rule (IFR) issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The IFR, an implementation of Section 71119 of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), narrowed the categorical exclusions from the work requirement for certain Medicaid recipients, making it more difficult for recipients to avoid the work requirement due to medical reasons. On June 29, 2026, twenty-five states and the District of Columbia filed this lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. They sued the defendants, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The plaintiffs sought a stay of the effective date of the challenged provisions of the IFR, a declaratory judgment, a preliminary and permanent injunction, and vacatur of the challenged provisions.

The plaintiffs argued that the IFR violates the APA because it is contrary to law, arguing that the IFR violates H.R. 1. The IFR limits qualification under the “medically frail” or “special medical needs” exceptions to the work requirement to those whose condition significantly impairs the individual’s ability to comply with the requirement, a requirement that the complaint argued does not exist in H.R. 1. The IFR makes similar limitations to the exception of emergencies preventing individuals from meeting the work requirement, which the plaintiffs also argued was narrower than H.R. 1 provides. The IFR also limits states’ ability to allow individuals to ‘self-attest’ that they are specifically excluded from the work requirement, which the plaintiffs argued violates the provision in H.R. 1 that expressly permits states to “elect to not require an individual to verify information” that they are a “specified excluded individual.” The plaintiffs also argued that the IFR violates the APA because it is arbitrary and capricious for failing to explain its reasons for changing existing policy. Finally, the plaintiffs argued that the IFR violates the Spending Clause of the United States Constitution because it does not provide the plaintiff states with clear notice of their obligations to satisfy its conditions to receive Medicaid funding and places retroactive conditions that the plaintiff states could not have reasonably foreseen when they began implementing H.R. 1.

The case was assigned to District Judge Richard G. Stearns.

Alongside their complaint, the plaintiffs moved for a preliminary injunction on June 29, 2026. On July 29, 2026, the Court denied the motion without prejudice, holding that the plaintiffs did not face irreparable harm from complying with the IFR during the course of litigation, as the federal government had previously represented to the states that it would reimburse 90% of the states’ expenses in designing, developing, and installing state eligibility systems to implement the rule. The Court indicated that it intended to reach the merits of the narrowed work requirement exceptions by January 1, 2027.

The case is ongoing.

Summary Authors

Sam Black (8/5/2026)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73546826/parties/commonwealth-of-massachusetts-v-oz/

Judge(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Bies, Katherine (Massachusetts)

Boergers, Kathleen (Massachusetts)

Boyer, Jacob (Massachusetts)

Canney, Julia S. (Massachusetts)

Dolinger, Samuel H. (Massachusetts)

Attorney for Defendant

Expert/Monitor/Master/Other

Judge(s)

Stearns, Richard Gaylore (Massachusetts)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Bies, Katherine (Massachusetts)

Boergers, Kathleen (Massachusetts)

Boyer, Jacob (Massachusetts)

Canney, Julia S. (Massachusetts)

Dolinger, Samuel H. (Massachusetts)

Drezner, Michael (Massachusetts)

Duraiswamy, Shankar (Massachusetts)

Fajana, Morenike (Massachusetts)

Fernandes, Kalikoonalani Diara (Massachusetts)

Giovanatti, Neil (Massachusetts)

Harvey, Julia (Massachusetts)

Hill, Nicole Suzanne (Massachusetts)

Hipsman, Faye B. (Massachusetts)

Hirsch, Emily (Massachusetts)

Ireland, Kiel (Massachusetts)

Kane, Ketakee Rajiv (Massachusetts)

Kane, Ryan Patrick (Massachusetts)

Katz, Joshua (Massachusetts)

Kearns, Katherine (Massachusetts)

Kennedy, Scott P. (Massachusetts)

Klunder, Nita Kumaraswami (Massachusetts)

Liston, Ian (Massachusetts)

Lorch, Ryan (Massachusetts)

Marks, Ethan W. (Massachusetts)

Mayo, Steven Travis (Massachusetts)

Mazeitis, Jake (Massachusetts)

McCooey, Patricia Ellen (Massachusetts)

McGee, Geoffrey Calvin (Massachusetts)

McGinty, William David (Massachusetts)

Mosteller, Daniel Paul (Massachusetts)

Muqaddam, Rabia (Massachusetts)

Rich, Anna (Massachusetts)

Roberts, Tyler S. (Massachusetts)

Roller, Katharine (Massachusetts)

Samant, Anjana (Massachusetts)

Staley, Lee B. (Massachusetts)

Thompson, Katherine (Massachusetts)

Weiss, Sarah Hunter (Massachusetts)

Attorney for Defendant

Gerardi, Michael J. (Massachusetts)

Other

Gold, Eric M. (Massachusetts)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Documents in this case

1 1:26-cv-12962	Complaint Commonwealth of Massachusetts et al. v. Oz et al.	June 29, 2026	June 29, 2026 Complaint
94 1:26-cv-12962	Memorandum and Order on Plaintiffs' Motion for a Preliminary Injunction Commonwealth of Massachusetts et al. v. Oz et al.	July 29, 2026	July 29, 2026 Order/Opinion 2026 WL 2192092

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Resources

Resources related to this case
Title	Description		External URL Date / External URL
Nationwide Coalition Sues CMS Over Medicaid Work Requirements Rule, Alleging Unlawful Narrowing of Exemptions for Medically Frail K. Tyler Dysart		July 21, 2026	July 21, 2026 https://www.jdsupra.com/...
Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals	This interim final rule with comment period (IFC) interprets and implements the community engagement requirement in Medicaid under section 1902(xx) of the Social Security Act. States are required to …	June 3, 2026	June 3, 2026 https://www.federalregister.gov/...

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73546826/commonwealth-of-massachusetts-v-oz/

Last updated Sept. 17, 2026, 3:13 a.m.

Docket for: Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Oz

ECF Number	Date	Description	Link
1	June 29, 2026	COMPLAINT against All Defendants Filing fee: $ 405, receipt number AMADC-11851478 (Fee Status: Filing Fee paid), filed by COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1 - CMS Slide Deck, # 2 Civil Cover Sheet, # 3 Category Form )(Klunder, Nita) Modified to remove duplicate text on 6/29/2026 (CAM). (Entered: 06/29/2026) 1 Exhibit 1 - CMS Slide Deck View on RECAP 2 Civil Cover Sheet View on RECAP 3 Category Form View on RECAP	Clearinghouse
2	June 29, 2026	MOTION for Preliminary Injunction by Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Klunder, Nita) (Entered: 06/29/2026) 1 Text of Proposed Order View on RECAP	RECAP
3	June 29, 2026	MEMORANDUM in Support re 2 MOTION for Preliminary Injunction filed by Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (Klunder, Nita) (Entered: 06/29/2026)	RECAP
4	June 29, 2026	NOTICE of Case Assignment. Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell assigned to case. Plaintiff's counsel, or defendant's counsel if this case was initiated by the filing of a Notice of Removal, are required to submit a form indicating whether the parties consent to proceed before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. PROMPT SUBMISSION OF THE COMPLETED FORM IS MANDATORY. The parties are directed to the Notice and Procedures regarding Consent to Proceed before the Magistrate Judge which can be downloaded here. These documents will be mailed to counsel not receiving notice electronically. Pursuant to General Order 26-01, until the Court receives for filing a consent to the Magistrate Judge's jurisdiction, or until a case is reassigned to a District Judge, the initial assignment of a civil case to the Magistrate Judge is a referral to the Magistrate Judge under 28 USC 636(b) for decision on all pretrial non-dispositive matters and for Report and Recommendation on dispositive matters. (MBM) (Entered: 06/29/2026)	RECAP
5	June 29, 2026	Summons Issued as to All Defendants. Counsel receiving this notice electronically should download this summons, complete one for each defendant and serve it in accordance with Fed.R.Civ.P. 4 and LR 4.1. Summons will be mailed to plaintiff(s) not receiving notice electronically for completion of service. (NMC) (Entered: 06/29/2026)	RECAP
6	June 29, 2026	AFFIDAVIT of Nita Klunder in Support re 2 MOTION for Preliminary Injunction filed by Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1 - Declaration of Patricia Dennis, # 2 Exhibit 2 - Declaration of Yingjia Huang, # 3 Exhibit 3 - Declaration of Adela Flores-Brennan, # 4 Exhibit 4 - Declaration of Peter Hadler, # 5 Exhibit 5 -Declaration of Andrew Wilson, # 6 Exhibit 6 - Declaration of Melisa Byrd, # 7 Exhibit 7 - Declaration of Katherine Yager, # 8 Exhibit 8 - Declaration of Lisa Lee, # 9 Exhibit 9 - Declaration of Ian Yaffe, # 10 Exhibit 10 - Declaration of Perrie Briskin, # 11 Exhibit 11 - Declaration of Ryan Schwarz, # 12 Exhibit 12 - Declaration of Elizabeth Hertel, # 13 Exhibit 13 - Declaration of Pamela Weiner, # 14 Exhibit 14 - Declaration of K. Brunetti Ireland, # 15 Exhibit 15 - Declaration of Gregory Woods,, # 16 Exhibit 16 - Declaration of Alanna Dancis, # 17 Exhibit 17 - Declaration of Dr. James V. McDonald, M.D., M.P.H., # 18 Exhibit 18 - Declaration of Sarah Gregosky, M.S.P.H., # 19 Exhibit 19 - Declaration of Vivian Levy, # 20 Exhibit 20 - Declaration of Hoa Pham, # 21 Exhibit 21 - Declaration of Kristin Pono Sousa, # 22 Exhibit 22 - Declaration of Marjorie Stinchcombe, # 23 Exhibit 23 - Declaration of Steven Ford, # 24 Exhibit 24 - Declaration of Judy Zerzan-Thul, M.D., M.P.H., # 25 Exhibit 25 - Declaration of Debra Standridge, # 26 Exhibit 26 - National Health Law Program letter, # 27 Exhibit 27 - CMCS Bulletin, # 28 Exhibit 28 - Work Requirements and Medicaid Disenrollment in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Texas, # 29 Exhibit 29 - Nebraska Press Release, # 30 Exhibit 30 - Sickle Cell Disease Partnership letter)(Klunder, Nita) (Entered: 06/29/2026) 1 Exhibit 1 - Declaration of Patricia Dennis View on RECAP 2 Exhibit 2 - Declaration of Yingjia Huang View on RECAP 3 Exhibit 3 - Declaration of Adela Flores-Brennan View on RECAP 4 Exhibit 4 - Declaration of Peter Hadler View on RECAP 5 Exhibit 5 -Declaration of Andrew Wilson View on RECAP 6 Exhibit 6 - Declaration of Melisa Byrd View on RECAP 7 Exhibit 7 - Declaration of Katherine Yager View on RECAP 8 Exhibit 8 - Declaration of Lisa Lee View on RECAP 9 Exhibit 9 - Declaration of Ian Yaffe View on RECAP 10 Exhibit 10 - Declaration of Perrie Briskin View on RECAP 11 Exhibit 11 - Declaration of Ryan Schwarz View on RECAP 12 Exhibit 12 - Declaration of Elizabeth Hertel View on RECAP 13 Exhibit 13 - Declaration of Pamela Weiner View on RECAP 14 Exhibit 14 - Declaration of K. Brunetti Ireland View on RECAP 15 Exhibit 15 - Declaration of Gregory Woods, View on RECAP 16 Exhibit 16 - Declaration of Alanna Dancis View on RECAP 17 Exhibit 17 - Declaration of Dr. James V. McDonald, M.D., M.P.H. View on RECAP 18 Exhibit 18 - Declaration of Sarah Gregosky, M.S.P.H. View on RECAP 19 Exhibit 19 - Declaration of Vivian Levy View on RECAP 20 Exhibit 20 - Declaration of Hoa Pham View on RECAP 21 Exhibit 21 - Declaration of Kristin Pono Sousa View on RECAP 22 Exhibit 22 - Declaration of Marjorie Stinchcombe View on RECAP 23 Exhibit 23 - Declaration of Steven Ford View on RECAP 24 Exhibit 24 - Declaration of Judy Zerzan-Thul, M.D., M.P.H. View on RECAP 25 Exhibit 25 - Declaration of Debra Standridge View on RECAP 26 Exhibit 26 - National Health Law Program letter View on RECAP 27 Exhibit 27 - CMCS Bulletin View on RECAP 28 Exhibit 28 - Work Requirements and Medicaid Disenrollment in Arkansas, Kentucky, View on RECAP 29 Exhibit 29 - Nebraska Press Release View on RECAP 30 Exhibit 30 - Sickle Cell Disease Partnership letter View on RECAP	RECAP
7	June 29, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Julia Suzanna Canney on behalf of Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Canney, Julia) (Entered: 06/29/2026)	RECAP
8	June 29, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Katherine Kearns on behalf of Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Kearns, Katherine) (Entered: 06/29/2026)	RECAP
	June 29, 2026	Notice of Case Assignment to a Magistrate Judge
9	June 30, 2026	ELECTRONIC NOTICE TO COUNSEL: Notification forms indicating whether or not a party has consented to proceed before a U.S. Magistrate Judge have not been received in the Clerk's Office. The submission of the form is mandatory. Completed forms should be be filed promptly. Additional forms can be obtained on the Court's web page at http://www.mad.uscourts.gov. (NR) (Entered: 06/30/2026)	RECAP
10	June 30, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Ethan W. Marks on behalf of Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Marks, Ethan) (Entered: 06/30/2026)	RECAP
11	June 30, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Michael Drezner Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11854529 by State of Maryland. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Michael Drezner)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 06/30/2026)	RECAP
12	June 30, 2026	Notice of Service of Process filed by Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Individual(s)/Entities served: Mehmet Oz, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Attachments: # 1 Affidavit Service on Defendants)(Klunder, Nita) (Entered: 06/30/2026)	RECAP
13	June 30, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Katharine Roller, Emily Hirsch Filing fee: $ 250, receipt number AMADC-11855284 by State of Illinois. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Katharine Roller, # 2 Certificate of Emily Hirsch)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 06/30/2026)	RECAP
14	June 30, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Sarah H. Weiss, Ryan Lorch Filing fee: $ 250, receipt number AMADC-11855332 by State of Colorado. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Sarah H. Weiss, # 2 Certificate of Ryan Lorch)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 06/30/2026)	RECAP
15	June 30, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Jacob B. Boyer Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11855349 by Josh Shapiro. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Jacob B. Boyer)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 06/30/2026)	RECAP
16	June 30, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of William McGinty, Tyler Roberts Filing fee: $ 250, receipt number AMADC-11855757 by State of Washington. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of William McGinty, # 2 Certificate of Tyler Roberts)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 06/30/2026)	RECAP
17	June 30, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Rabia Muqaddam, Morenike Fajana Filing fee: $ 250, receipt number AMADC-11855804 by State of New York. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Rabia Muqaddam, # 2 Certificate of Morenike Fajana)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 06/30/2026)	RECAP
	June 30, 2026	Reminder to Submit Consent or Refusal of MJ Jurisdiction
18	July 1, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Ian Liston Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11858956 by State of Delaware. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Ian Liston)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/01/2026)	RECAP
19	July 1, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Neil Giovanatti Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11858966 by State of Michigan. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Neil Giovanatti)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/01/2026)	RECAP
20	July 1, 2026	Refusal to Consent to Proceed Before a US Magistrate Judge. . (Klunder, Nita) (Entered: 07/01/2026)	RECAP
21	July 1, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Daniel P. Mosteller Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11858994 by State of North Carolina. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Daniel P. Mosteller)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/01/2026)	RECAP
22	July 1, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Shankar Duraiswamy, Samuel Dolinger, Jake Mazeitis, Geoffrey McGee Filing fee: $ 500, receipt number CMADC-11859041 by State of New Jersey. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Shankar Duraiswamy, # 2 Certificate of Samuel Dolinger, # 3 Certificate of Jake Mazeitis, # 4 Certificate of Geoffrey McGee)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/01/2026)	RECAP
23	July 1, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Ryan P. Kane Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11859118 by State of Vermont. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Ryan P. Kane)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/01/2026)	RECAP
24	July 1, 2026	ELECTRONIC NOTICE of Case Reassignment. Judge Richard G. Stearns assigned to case. If the trial Judge issues an Order of Reference of any matter in this case to a Magistrate Judge, the matter will be transmitted to Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell. (LBO) (Entered: 07/01/2026)	RECAP
	July 1, 2026	Notice of Case Assignment
25	July 2, 2026	Judge Richard G. Stearns: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 11 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Michael Drezner, granting 13 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Katharine Roller, Emily Hirsch., granting 14 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Sarah H. Weiss, Ryan Lorch, granting 15 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Jacob B. Boyer, granting 16 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added William McGinty, Tyler Roberts, granting 17 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Rabia Muqaddam, Morenike Fajana, granting 18 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Ian Liston, granting 19 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Neil Giovanatti, granting 21 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Daniel P. Mosteller, granting 22 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Shankar Duraiswamy, Samuel Dolinger, Jake Mazeitis, Geoffrey McGee, granting 23 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Ryan P. Kane Attorneys admitted Pro Hac Vice must have an individual PACER account, not a shared firm account, to electronically file in the District of Massachusetts. To register for a PACER account, go the Pacer website at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account. You must put the docket number under ADDITIONAL FILER INFORMATION on your form when registering or it will be rejected.Pro Hac Vice Admission Request Instructions https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/caseinfo/nextgen-pro-hac-vice.htm.A Notice of Appearance must be entered on the docket by the newly admitted attorney. (JAM) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
26	July 2, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Michael Drezner on behalf of State of Maryland (Drezner, Michael) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
27	July 2, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Neil Giovanatti on behalf of State of Michigan (Giovanatti, Neil) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
28	July 2, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Morenike Fajana on behalf of State of New York (Fajana, Morenike) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
29	July 2, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Ian Liston on behalf of State of Delaware (Liston, Ian) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
30	July 2, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Samuel H. Dolinger on behalf of State of New Jersey (Dolinger, Samuel) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
31	July 2, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Katharine Roller on behalf of State of Illinois (Roller, Katharine) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
32	July 2, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Rabia Muqaddam on behalf of State of New York (Muqaddam, Rabia) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
33	July 2, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Jake Mazeitis on behalf of State of New Jersey (Mazeitis, Jake) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
34	July 2, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Daniel Paul Mosteller on behalf of State of North Carolina (Mosteller, Daniel) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
35	July 2, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Shankar Duraiswamy on behalf of State of New Jersey (Duraiswamy, Shankar) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
36	July 2, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Ryan Patrick Kane on behalf of State of Vermont (Kane, Ryan) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
37	July 2, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Julia Harvey Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11862424 by State of Rhode Island. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Julia Harvey)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/02/2026)	RECAP
	July 2, 2026	Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear
38	July 6, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Jacob Boyer on behalf of Josh Shapiro (Boyer, Jacob) (Entered: 07/06/2026)	RECAP
39	July 6, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by William David McGinty on behalf of State of Washington (McGinty, William) (Entered: 07/06/2026)	RECAP
40	July 7, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Tyler S. Roberts on behalf of State of Washington (Roberts, Tyler) (Entered: 07/07/2026)	RECAP
41	July 7, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Steven Travis Mayo, Laura C. Tipton, Sam Flynn Filing fee: $ 375, receipt number AMADC-11869421 by Office of the Governor,. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Steven Travis Mayo, # 2 Certificate of Laura C. Tipton, # 3 Certificate of Sam Flynn)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/07/2026)	RECAP
42	July 7, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of K. Brunetti Ireland Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11869464 by State of Nevada. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of K. Brunetti Ireland)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/07/2026)	RECAP
43	July 7, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Patricia McCooey Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11869479 by State of Connecticut. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Patricia McCooey)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/07/2026)	RECAP
44	July 7, 2026	Judge Richard G. Stearns: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 37 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Julia Harvey, granting 41 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Steven Travis Mayo, Laura C. Tipton, Sam Flynn, granting 42 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added K. Brunetti Ireland, granting 43 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Patricia McCooey. Attorneys admitted Pro Hac Vice must have an individual PACER account, not a shared firm account, to electronically file in the District of Massachusetts. To register for a PACER account, go the Pacer website at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account. You must put the docket number under ADDITIONAL FILER INFORMATION on your form when registering or it will be rejected.Pro Hac Vice Admission Request Instructions https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/caseinfo/nextgen-pro-hac-vice.htm.A Notice of Appearance must be entered on the docket by the newly admitted attorney. (JAM) (Entered: 07/07/2026)	RECAP
45	July 7, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Kiel Ireland on behalf of State of Nevada (Ireland, Kiel) (Entered: 07/07/2026)	RECAP
46	July 7, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Steven Travis Mayo on behalf of Office of the Governor, (Mayo, Steven) (Entered: 07/07/2026)	RECAP
47	July 7, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Neli N. Palma, Kathleen Boergers, Anna Rich, Ketakee R. Kane Filing fee: $ 500, receipt number AMADC-11870590 by State of California. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Neli N. Palma, # 2 Certificate of Kathleen Boergers, # 3 Certificate of Anna Rich, # 4 Certificate of Ketakee R. Kane)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/07/2026)	RECAP
	July 7, 2026	Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear
48	July 8, 2026	Judge Richard G. Stearns: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 47 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Neli N. Palma, Kathleen Boergers, Anna Rich, Ketakee R. Kane. Attorneys admitted Pro Hac Vice must have an individual PACER account, not a shared firm account, to electronically file in the District of Massachusetts. To register for a PACER account, go the Pacer website at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account. You must put the docket number under ADDITIONAL FILER INFORMATION on your form when registering or it will be rejected.Pro Hac Vice Admission Request Instructions https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/caseinfo/nextgen-pro-hac-vice.htm.A Notice of Appearance must be entered on the docket by the newly admitted attorney. (JAM) (Entered: 07/08/2026)	RECAP
49	July 8, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Emily Hirsch on behalf of State of Illinois (Hirsch, Emily) (Entered: 07/08/2026)	RECAP
50	July 8, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Katherine Thompson Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11872247 by State of Maine. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Katherine Thompson)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/08/2026)	RECAP
51	July 8, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Patricia Ellen McCooey on behalf of State of Connecticut (McCooey, Patricia) (Entered: 07/08/2026)	RECAP
52	July 8, 2026	Judge Richard G. Stearns: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 50 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Katherine Thompson. Attorneys admitted Pro Hac Vice must have an individual PACER account, not a shared firm account, to electronically file in the District of Massachusetts. To register for a PACER account, go the Pacer website at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account. You must put the docket number under ADDITIONAL FILER INFORMATION on your form when registering or it will be rejected.Pro Hac Vice Admission Request Instructions https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/caseinfo/nextgen-pro-hac-vice.htm.A Notice of Appearance must be entered on the docket by the newly admitted attorney. (JAM) (Entered: 07/08/2026)	RECAP
53	July 8, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Joshua Katz Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11873705 by State of Arizona. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Joshua Katz)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/08/2026)	RECAP
	July 8, 2026	Order on Motion for Leave to Appear
54	July 9, 2026	Judge Richard G. Stearns: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 53 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Joshua Katz. Attorneys admitted Pro Hac Vice must have an individual PACER account, not a shared firm account, to electronically file in the District of Massachusetts. To register for a PACER account, go the Pacer website at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account. You must put the docket number under ADDITIONAL FILER INFORMATION on your form when registering or it will be rejected.Pro Hac Vice Admission Request Instructions https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/caseinfo/nextgen-pro-hac-vice.htm.A Notice of Appearance must be entered on the docket by the newly admitted attorney. (JAM) (Entered: 07/09/2026)	RECAP
55	July 9, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Katherine Thompson on behalf of State of Maine (Thompson, Katherine) (Entered: 07/09/2026)	RECAP
56	July 9, 2026	Joint MOTION for Order to Set Briefing Schedule by Commonwealth of Massachusetts.(Klunder, Nita) (Entered: 07/09/2026)	RECAP
57	July 9, 2026	Judge Richard G. Stearns: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 56 Motion for Order. Defendants' opposition is due July 15, 2026. Plaintiffs may file a reply of no more than fifteen (15) pages by July 21, 2026. The court will schedule this motion for a hearing on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 2:00 pm. (RGS, law3) (Entered: 07/09/2026)	RECAP
	July 9, 2026	Order on Motion for Leave to Appear
	July 9, 2026	Order on Motion for Order
58	July 10, 2026	ELECTRONIC NOTICE Setting Hearing on Motion 2 MOTION for Preliminary Injunction : Motion Hearing set for 7/28/2026 02:00 PM in Courtroom 21 (In person only) before Judge Richard G. Stearns. (TRM) (Entered: 07/10/2026)	RECAP
59	July 10, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Megan C. Keenan by Commonwealth of Virginia. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Megan C. Keenan)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/10/2026)	RECAP
60	July 10, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Anjana Samant Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11880350 by State of New Mexico. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Anjana Samant)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/10/2026)	RECAP
	July 10, 2026	Notice Setting or Resetting Hearing on Motion
61	July 13, 2026	Judge Richard G. Stearns: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 59 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Megan C. Keenan and granting 60 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Anjana Samant. Attorneys admitted Pro Hac Vice must have an individual PACER account, not a shared firm account, to electronically file in the District of Massachusetts. To register for a PACER account, go the Pacer website at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account. You must put the docket number under ADDITIONAL FILER INFORMATION on your form when registering or it will be rejected.Pro Hac Vice Admission Request Instructions https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/caseinfo/nextgen-pro-hac-vice.htm.A Notice of Appearance must be entered on the docket by the newly admitted attorney. (JAM) (Entered: 07/13/2026)	RECAP
62	July 13, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Kalikoonalani D. Fernandes Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11881608 by State of Hawaii. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Kalikoonalani D. Fernandes)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/13/2026)	RECAP
63	July 13, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Katherine J. Bies Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11881998 by State of Minnesota. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Katherine J. Bies)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/13/2026)	RECAP
64	July 13, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Geoffrey Calvin McGee on behalf of State of New Jersey (McGee, Geoffrey) (Entered: 07/13/2026)	RECAP
65	July 13, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Nicole S. Hill Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11882954 by District of Columbia. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Nicole S. Hill)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/13/2026)	RECAP
66	July 13, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Anjana Samant on behalf of State of New Mexico (Samant, Anjana) (Entered: 07/13/2026)	RECAP
	July 13, 2026	Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear
67	July 14, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Julia Harvey on behalf of State of Rhode Island (Harvey, Julia) (Entered: 07/14/2026)	RECAP
68	July 14, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Anna Rich on behalf of State of California (Rich, Anna) (Entered: 07/14/2026)	RECAP
69	July 14, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Kathleen Boergers on behalf of State of California (Boergers, Kathleen) (Entered: 07/14/2026)	RECAP
70	July 14, 2026	Judge Richard G. Stearns: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 62 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Kalikoonalani D. Fernandes and granting 63 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Katherine J. Bies and granting 65 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Nicole S. Hill. Attorneys admitted Pro Hac Vice must have an individual PACER account, not a shared firm account, to electronically file in the District of Massachusetts. To register for a PACER account, go the Pacer website at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account. You must put the docket number under ADDITIONAL FILER INFORMATION on your form when registering or it will be rejected.Pro Hac Vice Admission Request Instructions https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/caseinfo/nextgen-pro-hac-vice.htm.A Notice of Appearance must be entered on the docket by the newly admitted attorney. (JAM) (Entered: 07/14/2026)	RECAP
71	July 14, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Ketakee Rajiv Kane on behalf of State of California (Kane, Ketakee) (Entered: 07/14/2026)	RECAP
72	July 14, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Scott P. Kennedy Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11887701 by State of Oregon. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Scott P. Kennedy)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/14/2026)	RECAP
73	July 14, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Lee B. Staley Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11887716 by State of Rhode Island. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Lee B. Staley)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/14/2026)	RECAP
	July 14, 2026	Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear
74	July 15, 2026	Judge Richard G. Stearns: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 72 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Scott P. Kennedy and granting 73 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Lee B. Staley. Attorneys admitted Pro Hac Vice must have an individual PACER account, not a shared firm account, to electronically file in the District of Massachusetts. To register for a PACER account, go the Pacer website at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/register-account. You must put the docket number under ADDITIONAL FILER INFORMATION on your form when registering or it will be rejected.Pro Hac Vice Admission Request Instructions https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/caseinfo/nextgen-pro-hac-vice.htm.A Notice of Appearance must be entered on the docket by the newly admitted attorney. (JAM) (Entered: 07/15/2026)	RECAP
75	July 15, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Nicole Suzanne Hill on behalf of District of Columbia (Hill, Nicole) (Entered: 07/15/2026)	RECAP
76	July 15, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Katherine Bies on behalf of State of Minnesota (Bies, Katherine) (Entered: 07/15/2026)	RECAP
77	July 15, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Joshua Katz on behalf of State of Arizona (Katz, Joshua) (Entered: 07/15/2026)	RECAP
78	July 15, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Scott P. Kennedy on behalf of State of Oregon (Kennedy, Scott) (Entered: 07/15/2026)	RECAP
79	July 15, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Lee B. Staley on behalf of State of Rhode Island (Staley, Lee) (Entered: 07/15/2026)	RECAP
80	July 15, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Michael J. Gerardi on behalf of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, Mehmet Oz, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS) (Gerardi, Michael) (Entered: 07/15/2026)	RECAP
81	July 15, 2026	MEMORANDUM in Opposition re 2 MOTION for Preliminary Injunction filed by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, Mehmet Oz, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS). (Gerardi, Michael) (Entered: 07/15/2026)	RECAP
82	July 15, 2026	MOTION for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice for admission of Faye Hipsman Filing fee: $ 125, receipt number AMADC-11891153 by State of Wisconsin. (Attachments: # 1 Certificate of Faye Hipsman)(Canney, Julia) (Entered: 07/15/2026)	RECAP
	July 15, 2026	Order on Motion for Leave to Appear AND Order on Motion for Leave to Appear
83	July 17, 2026	Judge Richard G. Stearns: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 82 Motion for Leave to Appear Pro Hac Vice Added Faye Hipsman. Attorneys admitted Pro Hac Vice must have an individual upgraded PACER account, not a shared firm account, to electronically file in the District of Massachusetts. Counsel may need to link their CM/ECF account to their upgraded individual pacer account. Instructions on how to link CM/ECF accounts to upgraded pacer account can be found at https://www.mad.uscourts.gov/caseinfo/nextgen-current-pacer-accounts.htm#link-account. (JAM) (Entered: 07/17/2026)	RECAP
84	July 17, 2026	NOTICE of Appearance by Kalikoonalani Diara Fernandes on behalf of State of Hawaii (Fernandes, Kalikoonalani) (Entered: 07/17/2026)	RECAP
	July 17, 2026	Order on Motion for Leave to Appear
85	July 21, 2026	Assented to MOTION for Leave to File Brief of Amici Curiae in Support of Plaintiffs' Motion for a Preliminary Injunction by American Medical Association, Massachusetts Medical Society. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Proposed Amicus Brief)(Gold, Eric) (Entered: 07/21/2026) 1 View on RECAP	RECAP
86	July 21, 2026	Judge Richard G. Stearns: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 85 Motion for Leave to File Brief of Amici Curiae in Support of Plaintiffs' Motion for a Preliminary Injunction; Counsel using the Electronic Case Filing System should now file the document for which leave to file has been granted in accordance with the CM/ECF Administrative Procedures. Counsel must include - Leave to file granted on (date of order)- in the caption of the document. (JAM) (Entered: 07/21/2026)	RECAP
87	July 21, 2026	REPLY to Response to 2 MOTION for Preliminary Injunction filed by Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (Klunder, Nita) (Entered: 07/21/2026)	RECAP

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Case Details

State / Territory:

Massachusetts

Case Type(s):

Healthcare Access and Reproductive Issues

Special Collection(s):

Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government

Health Care Access

Key Dates

Filing Date: June 29, 2026

Case Ongoing: Yes

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

The plaintiffs are twenty-five states and the District of Columbia.

Plaintiff Type(s):

State Plaintiff

Public Interest Lawyer: No

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Federal

Dr. Mehmet Oz

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Defendant Type(s):

Hospital/Health Department

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.

Constitutional Clause(s):

Spending/Appropriations Clauses

Other Dockets:

District of Massachusetts 1:26-cv-12962

Available Documents:

Any published opinion

Complaint (any)

Trial Court Docket

Outcome

Prevailing Party: None Yet / None

Relief Sought:

Declaratory judgment

Injunction

Stay of government action

Relief Granted:

None yet

Source of Relief:

None yet

Issues

Benefits (Source):

Medicaid

Recommended Citation

Case Summary of Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Oz, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/48333/ (last updated 8/5/2026).