Weaver v. Reagen
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
886 F.2d 194 (1989)
- Written by Mary Phelan D'Isa, JD
Facts
A class of Medicaid-eligible AIDS patients sued the Missouri Department of Social Services to challenge its Medicaid rules that did not provide coverage for AZT for certain Medicaid recipients with AIDS. The state argued that because it relied on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approved label uses for AZT to limit its coverage for AZT, it acted reasonably and within its discretion to limit covered medical services based on medical necessity and utilization controls. The district court found that the Missouri restriction on AZT coverage violated federal law. The court also found that AZT is a medically necessary treatment for the patients in the class who did not fit within the restrictive criteria of Missouri’s Medicaid rules and enjoined Missouri Medicaid officials from denying AZT to persons eligible for Medicaid and infected with the AIDS virus. The state appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Ross, J.)
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