During its upcoming term, the United States Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in Health and Hospitals Corporation of Marion County v. Talevski. which could determine whether beneficiaries and health care providers will be able to seek the aid of the courts when official state actions threaten federal Medicaid rights. Among the providers that would be affected are community health centers, which have special payment protections under Medicaid’s “Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)” federal payment guarantee. Should health centers lose the ability to enforce FQHC rights, they would risk serious financial losses in those states that fail to honor FQHC payment rules, and these mounting revenue losses would significantly affect patient care.
Authored by Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, Sara Rosenbaum, and Rebecca Morris.