The U.S. Supreme Court said July 2 it will take on a legal dispute regarding how much money Florida's Medicaid program can recoup after a settlement stemming from a 2008 accident.
The court's decision could affect Medicaid programs nationwide, according to WUSF Public Media.
After then 13-year-old Gianinna Gallardo was struck by a truck and left in a vegetative state, her parents received an $800,000 settlement after filing a lawsuit against the truck's owner, driver and the Lee County School Board. Documents obtained by the publication showed the Agency for Health Care Administration, which operates Florida's Medicaid program, paid $862,688 for Ms. Gallardo's care after she was injured.
The Agency for Health Care Administration said it was entitled to $300,000 of the settlement, including a portion allocated to Ms. Gallardo's future medical expenses. At the center of the legal battle is whether the agency is entitled to the portion of the settlement representing past medical expenses or the money representing future expenses, the article stated.