Federal Court Victory on Proposed Cuts to Medicaid

Whether through e-activism, lobbying their members of Congress, or organizing informational presentations within their hospitals, CIR members have been front and center in the debate on proposed cuts to Medicaid which would severely impact public hospitals. Due to our unique perspective as front-line providers of care and the passion with which our members rallied against these devastating cuts, CIR was asked to file an Amicus Curiae (or, "Friend of the Court") brief for a lawsuit brought by the Alameda County Medical Center, the Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, the American Hospital Association, and the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Alameda County Medical Center and the other parties to the suit were filing for an injunction barring the enforcement of a Medicaid rule issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) – the maneuver by which the Bush Administration hoped to circumvent clear directives from Congress not to implement the cuts. Were the cuts to be enforced, it would cost safety net hospitals across the country billions of dollars in funding, at a time when many of them are already struggling financially.

On May 23, 2008, we achieved a major victory. The United States District Court ruled in favor of the injunction – in no uncertain terms! “In this case,” the court’s memorandum on the ruling begins, “the Court is asked to decide whether a maneuver by the Executive Branch deliberately designed to outfox a clear directive of Congress was successful. The answer is no.”

  Read CIR’s Amicus Curiae brief on behalf of Alameda County Medical Center, et al.

  Read the United States District Court ruling