Christus Health Gulf Coast v. Aetna, Inc.

We must decide whether a Texas court has jurisdiction over certain state-law claims asserted by hospitals against a Medicare health maintenance organization, or whether the hospitals must first proceed through the federal administrative machinery. We conclude that the hospitals in this case have alleged facts supporting the trial court’s jurisdiction. Accordingly, we reverse the court of appeals’ judgment and remand to the trial court for further proceedings.

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The Medicare Advantage Program

Medicare was established in 1965 as part of the Social Security Act. 42 U.S.C. §§ 1395-1395ggg (2000). It…