Equal access for Medicaid beneficiaries — The Supreme Court and the Douglas cases

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

12-15-2011

Journal

New England Journal of Medicine

Volume

Volume 365, Issue 24

Inclusive Pages

2245-2247

Keywords

Health Services Accessibility--legislation & jurisprudence; Insurance, Health, Reimbursement--legislation & jurisprudence; Medicaid--legislation & jurisprudence; Supreme Court Decisions; Medicaid & SCHIP; Access to Health Care; Legal; Hirsh Health Law & Policy

Abstract

On October 3, 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in the consolidated Douglas cases (Douglas v. Independent Living Center of Southern California, Douglas v. California Pharmacists Association, and Douglas v. Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital), which stemmed from lawsuits brought by Medicaid beneficiaries and health care providers against California for cutting Medicaid reimbursement rates to the point where, the plaintiffs argued, beneficiaries' access to care was seriously threatened. Although Douglas stemmed from this dispute, the central question before the Court is broader: Does the U.S. Constitution give private individuals the right to go to court to halt state actions that violate federal law and threaten immediate and irreparable injury?

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Peer Reviewed

1

Open Access

1

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