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Select Recent Court Decisions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 February 2021

Abstract

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Type
Recent Developments in Health Law
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics and Boston University 2002

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References

1 282 F.3d 856 (5th Cir. 2002).

2 Id. at 859.

3 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(k) (2000).

4 107 F. Supp. 2d 744, 747 (N.D. Miss. 2000)

5 Stout, 282 F.3d at 858-59

6 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(k).

7 Stout, 282 F.3d at 859.

8 Id.

9 Id. at 860.

10 Id. (citing Dormeyer v. Comerica Bank-Ill., 223 F.3d 579, 583 (7th Cir. 2000)).

11 Id. (citing Watson v. Fort Worth Bank & Trust, 487 U.S. 977, 994 (1988)).

12 Id. (citing Int'l Brotherhood of Teamsters v. United States, 431 U.S. 324, 335 (1977)).

13 97 F.3d810(5thCir. 1996).

14 Stout, 282 F.3d at 861.

15 Garcia, 97 F.3d at 814.

16 Ma t 813.

17 Id.

18 Stout, 282 F.3d at 861.

19 Id.

20 Id.

21 Id. (citing Urbano v. Continental Airlines, Inc., 138 F.3d 204, 206 (5th Cir. 1998)).

22 Stout, 282 F.3d at 861.

23 Id. at 862.

24 Id.

1 277 F.3d 635 (2d Cir. 2002).

2 Id. at 638.

3 Id. at 647-48.

4 Zervos v. Verizon N.Y., Inc., No. 01-CIV.685, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2552, at *2-4 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 14, 2001).

5 Id. at *39 (denying injunction on grounds that Zervos did not satisfy his burden of proving irreparable harm or the likelihood of success on the merits, and also holding that Empire's initial decision to deny coverage was reasonable).

6 Zervos v. Verizon N.Y., Inc., 252 F.3d 163, 174 (2d Cir. 2001) (noting, however, that Zervos could seek review of Empire's final, rather than initial, denial of coverage).

7 Zervos v. Verizon N.Y., Inc., No. 01-CIV.685, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17060, at *44-5, (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 22, 2001) (finding Empire's appeals process arbitrary and capricious, and remanding case to Empire for review because the court deemed it inappropriate to make a medical determination ordering coverage).

8 Id. at *45.

9 Zervos, 277 F.3d at 644.

10 Id.

11 Id.

12 Id. at 645.

13 Id. at 645-46 (cautioning that this holding is “limited to the exigent and unique circumstances of this case,” so not all remands to plan administrators will be final orders). The court also noted that remands to plan administrators as final orders within the meaning of 28 U.S.C. § 1291 remains an unresolved issue in the Second Circuit. Id. at 646 n.8 (citing Crocco v. Xerox Corp., 137 F.3d 105, 108(2d Cir. 1998)).

14 Zervos, 277 F.3d at 646.

15 72 F.3d 1066, 1070 (2d Cir. 1995).

16 Zervos, 277 F.3d at 646.

17 112 F.3d 61, 66 (2d Cir. 1997).

18 Zervos, 277 F.3d at 647.

19 Id.

20 Id.

21 Id. (citing Gallo v. Madera, 136 F.3d 326, 330 (2d Cir. 1998), which supports broad deference to pension plan trustees' interpretation of plan terms, but not deference so broad as to allow addition of requirements).

22 Id. at 648.

23 78 F.3d 46, 51 n.4 (2d Cir. 1996).

24 Zervos, 277 F.3d at 648.

25 Id. (finding also that the remand order was arbitrary and capricious given the time constraints and the appropriateness of an order compelling coverage).

26 Id. at 655 (noting also the speed with which the district court ruled, thus refuting the majority's contention that the district court had ignored Zervos' time constraints).

27 Id. (relying on Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. v. Bruch, 489 U.S. 101, 115 (1989)).

1 122 S. Ct. 962 (2002).

2 42 U.S.C. § 1396r-5 (2001).

3 Blumer, 122 S. Ct. at 964.

4 Id. at 967.

5 All resources above the CSRA are considered available to the institutionalized spouse and must be spent before Medicaid eligibility can be achieved. In 2001, the CSRA was capped at $87,000 with an additional $2,000 set aside as a personal allowance for the institutionalized spouse. Id. at 968-69.

6 The MMMNA is set by individual states, but could not exceed $2,175 in 2001. Id. at 967.

7 42 U.S.C. § 1396r-5(d)(l)(B).

8 Blumer, 122 S. Ct. at 968.

9 42 U.S.C. § 1396r-5(e).

10 42 U.S.C. § 1396r-5(e)(2)(C); Blumer, 122 S. Ct. at 969.

11 Irene was required to make available to Burnett $88 per month from her own income. Wis. Stat. Ann. § 49.455(8)(d) (West 1997); Blumer, 122 S. Ct. at 970-71. At the time of the hearing, Irene received $927 per month in Social Security and $336 from a pension. Blumer, 122 S. Ct. at 970-71.

12 Blumer, 122 S. Ct. at 971-72.

13 Id. at 972.

14 Id. at 972-73.

15 Id. at 973.

16 Id. at 975.

17 Id. at 976.

18 Lane, Charles & Goldstein, Amy, High Court Lets States Vary Rules on Medicaid, Wash. Post, Feb. 21, 2002Google Scholar, at A6. Justice Ginsburg noted that the resources-first method is more expensive, and could force states to reduce the overall level of MMMNA or CSRA for community spouses. Blumer, 122 S. Ct. at 976. Although there is no good estimate of the full financial impact, a court-mandated resources-first rule could cost the state and federal governments an additional $10 million for every 100 cases. Gilbert, Craig, U.S. Justices Hear State Assets Case, Milwaukee J. Sentinel, Dec. 4, 2001, at Bl, available at http://www.jsonline.com/news/nat/dec01/spouse04120301.aspGoogle Scholar.

19 See 66 Fed. Reg. 46,763, 46,767 (Sept. 7, 2001) (to be codified at 42 C.F.R. pt. 431).

20 Supreme Court Hears Arguments in “Income-First” Case, ElderLawAnswers (Dec. 24, 2001), at http://www.elderlawanswers.com/news/XcNPSearch.asp. This burden would fall disproportionately upon homemakers who have little income of their own. Brief of SeniorLaw/Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. as Amicus Curiae Supporting Respondent at *2, Wis. Dep't of Health & Fam. Svcs. v. Blumer, 122 S. Ct. 962 (No. 00-952).

21 Gilbert, supra note 18, at Bl.

1 790 A.2d 1132 (Conn. 2002).

2 Id. at 1152.

3 Id. at 1136.

4 Id. at 1137.

5 Id. at 1140.

6 Conn. Gen. Stat. § 2la-265 (1994).

7 See generally Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-626(b)(5) (2001) (permitting pharmacists to “provide pharmacy records or information to... any governmental agency with statutory authority to... obtain such information.”).

8 Russo, 790 A.2d at 1143.

9 Id. at 1146.

10 Id. at 1147.

11 Id. at 1148 (citing Doe v. Southeastern Penn. Transp. Auth., 72 F.3d 1133, 1138 (3d Cir. 1995)).

12 Id.

12 Id.

14 Id. at 1152 (citing Whalen v. Roe, 429 U.S. 589 (1977)).

15 Whalen, 429 U.S. at 598 (holding that “the [state's] vital interest in controlling the distribution of dangerous drugs” outweighed an individual's privacy interest).

16 Russo, 790 A.2d at 1151-52 (citations omitted).

17 Id. at 1152.

18 Id. at 1146.

19 Lynne Tuohy, Divided Court Calls Search Legal; Police Detective's Case Stirs Debate Over Access to Pharmacy Records, Hartford Courant, Feb. 9, 2002, at Al, available at 2002 WL 4791306.

20 Id.

21 John Christoffersen, Conn. Court: Police Can Seize Records, AP Online, Feb. 8, 2002, available at 2002 WL 11689578.