High Court Wrestles With Florida Medicaid Clawback Dispute

The Supreme Court struggled Monday with whether a state can be reimbursed for past medical care by tapping into money won by a Medicaid beneficiary in a personal injury lawsuit for future medical expenses.

During nearly two hours of oral arguments, the justices wrestled with how broad or limiting various provisions of the Medicaid Act should be read. The provisions prohibit states from imposing a lien on a Medicaid recipient’s property to recover payments they’ve made but also allow states to recover damages from someone who injured a beneficiary.

At issue is whether the state’s recoveries are limited to the ...