Trending News Today: Motion Filed to Maintain ACA Subsidies

The US Department of Justice recently filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group alleging that the insurer overbilled the government more than $1 billion for Medicare Advantage plans, Kaiser Health News reported. The government alleged that the insurer was making patients appear sicker to generate higher Medicare payments over the past 10 years. The case was originally filed in 2011 by a former UnitedHealth finance director under the False Claims Act. This is the second time the federal government intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against UnitedHealth overbilling Medicare, Kaiser said.

This year, California will contribute $1.3 billion to its Medicaid program, which expanded to include an additional 4 million residents under the Affordable Care Act, according to California Healthline. This year is the first time states must provide funding to expanded Medicaid programs. While states are only required to cover 5% of costs to new enrollees, it can be significant for some states with high enrollment.

Yesterday, 16 Democratic attorneys general sought to prevent the government from ceasing to provide Affordable Care Act subsidies. The attorneys general filed a motion to intervene in a court case that is pending in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, according to The New York Times. The case was filed by the House of Representatives in an effort to stop subsidies provided to insurers to make health plans more affordable.