HealthPolitics

STAT+: Judges skewer HHS arguments in hearing over Medicare Advantage audits lawsuit

Read full article at source ↗

Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 06/10/2026, 14:37:24 UTC.

Briefings

Federal judges rejected the Trump administration's defense of the Medicare Advantage audit rule in a hearing on Humana's lawsuit. A three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals appeared ready to invalidate the Health and Human Services Department's RADV rule, which was previously overturned in September 2025. The case centers on whether the rule change lacked proper notice and opportunity to comment, a claim the government argued would harm insurers.

Key points

• A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit appeared poised to invalidate the Health and Human Services Department's risk adjustment data validation (RADV) rule during oral arguments on October 5, 2026.
• The ruling would overturn the September 2025 decision that invalidated the rule, which was previously challenged by the Trump administration's HHS.

Context

The case involves Humana v. Kennedy, where the second largest Medicare Advantage insurer sued the government over its audit rules. The government argued the rule change was necessary for the program's stability, but the court's potential reversal could significantly impact how Medicare Advantage plans are audited.

Limitations

Evidence is limited to the October 5, 2026, oral arguments and the September 2025 judicial decision. The specific outcome of the current hearing is not confirmed, and the court's final decision remains uncertain.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 21/10/2026, 11:15:40 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeiedzolomvree7xqkdztmar5bur53nugh4vykye3d2kmwhfasvy4ha