No. 20-1312October Term 2020Decided Jun 24, 2022Updated May 25, 2026
Becerra v. Empire Health Foundation, For Valley Hospital Medical Center
This case was about how the federal government calculates extra Medicare payments for hospitals that treat many low-income patients.
Case status
Decided 5-4 · June 24, 2022 · Opinion by Justice Kagan
Read the opinion (PDF)- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Jun 24, 2022
- What it's about
This case was about how the federal government calculates extra Medicare payments for hospitals that treat many low-income patients. The dispute centered on whether patients who qualify for Medicare Part A count in the Medicare part of that formula even if Medicare did not actually pay for their hospital stay, and the Court held that they do.
Question presented
Whether the Secretary has permissibly included in a hospital's Medicare fraction all of the hospital's patient days of individuals who satisfy the requirements to be entitled to Medicare Part A benefits, regardless of whether Medicare paid the hospital for those particular days.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Decision released Jun 24, 2022
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Timing
Decided June 24, 2022
The Court released its decision on June 24, 2022 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity3
Brief added: Questions Presented
May 25, 2026 | Court records
Opinion added: opinion
Jun 24, 2022 | Court records
Brief added: Petition
Mar 19, 2021 | Court records
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Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 25, 2026
- Method
- Methodology