AHL’s TOP STORY: Supreme Court Sends California Medicaid Lawsuit Back to Appellate Court
The Supreme Court yesterday declined to rule on a California lawsuit that could determine whether Medicaid beneficiaries and providers can sue states over reimbursement cuts, the Los Angeles Times reports (Savage/Megerian, Los Angeles Times, 2/23). The justices sent the case back to a lower appellate court, noting the complexity of the case and the fact that some circumstances have changed since it originally was filed (Doyle, Sacramento Bee, 2/23).
The case stems from provider payment cuts under Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, that the California Legislature approved in 2008 and 2009. Providers and Medi-Cal beneficiaries challenged the reductions in court, arguing that the payment cuts violate a federal law that says Medicaid rates must be “sufficient to enlist enough providers” so that beneficiaries have the same access to care as the general population in their region (American Health Line, 10/4/11).
The 9th Circuit Court blocked the cuts, but California appealed to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, CMS ultimately approved the reductions (Los Angeles Times, 2/22).
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