Appeals Court Overturns State Medicaid Ruling

DENVER (AP) -- A federal appeals court is overturning a judge's ruling that Oklahoma violated the federal Medicaid law.<br/><br/>The ruling by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver overturns

Thursday, January 4th 2007, 8:42 am

By: News On 6

DENVER (AP) -- A federal appeals court is overturning a judge's ruling that Oklahoma violated the federal Medicaid law.

The ruling by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver overturns a 2005 decision by federal Judge Claire Eagan of Tulsa.

Eagan had ruled the state was violating Medicaid law by allowing delays in treatment of poor children or by not paying doctors and other health care providers enough to get them to take Medicaid patients. The state appealed the ruling.

The original lawsuit was filed on behalf of poor children, their parents and pediatricians against the Oklahoma Health Care Authority which runs the Medicaid program.

Health Care Authority attorney Howard Pallotta says the state has increased spending on children's health care by $20-million since Eagan's ruling and no changes are likely.

Pallotta says the main victory for the state is that the appeals court ruled the children, parents and health care providers don't have a right to sue to enforce Medicaid law.