Georgia Department of Medical Assistance v. United States Department of Health and Human Services, and Margaret Heckler, Secretary

BY THE COURT:

This Medicaid case involves an effort by the Georgia Department of Medical Assistance (GDMA) to obtain reimbursement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for funds GDMA spent on abortion services for medicaid patients pursuant to a court order.

In June of 1979, a federal district court invalidated GDMA’s regulations placing tight restrictions on medicaid reimbursement for abortions. Doe v. Busbee, 471 F.Supp. 1326 (N.D.Ga.1979). The district court held that while the Hyde Amendment precluded federal funding of most abortion services, Title XIX of the Social…