Marietta Memorial Hospital Employee Health Benefit Plan v. Davita, No. 20-1641 [Arg: 03.1.2022]

(1) Whether a group health plan that provides uniform reimbursement of all dialysis treatments observe the prohibition provided by the Medicare Secondary Payer Act that group health plans may not “take into account” the fact that a plan participant with end stage renal disease is eligible for Medicare benefits; (2) whether a plan that provides the same dialysis benefits to all plan participants, and reimburses dialysis providers uniformly regardless of whether the patient has end stage renal disease, observe the prohibition under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act that a group health plan also may not “differentiate” between individuals with end stage renal disease and others “in the benefits it provides”; and (3) whether the Medicare Secondary Payer Act is a coordination-of-benefits measure designed to protect Medicare, not an antidiscrimination law designed to protect certain providers from alleged disparate impact of uniform treatment.
QUESTION PRESENTED: 

  1. Whether a group health plan that provides uniform reimbursement of all dialysis treatments observe the prohibition provided by the Medicare Secondary Payer Act that group health plans may not “take into account” the fact that a plan participant with end stage renal disease is eligible for Medicare benefits; 
  2. whether a plan that provides the same dialysis benefits to all plan participants, and reimburses dialysis providers uniformly regardless of whether the patient has end stage renal disease, observe the prohibition under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act that a group health plan also may not “differentiate” between individuals with end stage renal disease and others “in the benefits it provides”; and
  3. whether the Medicare Secondary Payer Act is a coordination-of-benefits measure designed to protect Medicare, not an antidiscrimination law designed to protect certain providers from alleged disparate impact of uniform treatment.

Date                     Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
May 21 2021 | Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due June 24, 2021)
Jun 24 2021 | Waiver of right of respondent Davita Inc., et al. to respond filed.
Jun 30 2021 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/27/2021.
Jul 21 2021 | Response Requested. (Due August 20, 2021)
Aug 05 2021 | Motion to extend the time to file a response from August 20, 2021 to September 20, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.
Aug 06 2021 | Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including September 20, 2021.
Sep 20 2021 | Brief of respondents Davita Inc., et al. in opposition filed.
Oct 04 2021 | Reply of petitioners Marietta Memorial Hospital Employee Health Benefit Plan, et al. filed. (Distributed)
Oct 06 2021 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/29/2021.
Nov 01 2021 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/5/2021.
Nov 05 2021 | Petition GRANTED.
Dec 17 2021 | ARGUMENT SET FOR Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Dec 20 2021 | Brief of petitioners Marietta Memorial Hospital Employee Health Benefit Plan, et al. filed.
Dec 20 2021 | Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed)
Dec 21 2021 | Record requested from the U.S.C.A. 6th Circuit.
Dec 22 2021 | Brief amici curiae of Pacific Health Coalition, et al. filed.
Dec 23 2021 | Brief amicus curiae of United States filed.
Dec 23 2021 | Brief amicus curiae of Self-Insurance Institute of America, Inc. filed.

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Marietta Memorial Hospital Employee Health Benefit Plan v. Davita, No. 20-1641 [Arg: 03.1.2022]
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