La Clínica De La Raza, Inc. v. State of California Department of Health

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
La Clínica De La Raza, Inc. v. State of California Department of Health, 669 F. App'x 932 (9th Cir. 2016)

La Clínica De La Raza, Inc. v. State of California Department of Health

Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

La Clínica appeals the district court’s decision that its claim for future injunctive and declaratory relief does not present a case or controversy. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We affirm because La Clínica lacks standing to challenge the legality of Option 2.

Article III standing requires that a plaintiff has (1) suffered an injury in fact; (2) that is traceable to the challenged action; and (3) likely to be redressed by a favorable court determination. Snake River Farmers' Ass’n, Inc. v. Dep’t of Labor, 9 F.3d 792, 795 (9th Cir. 1993) (citing Lujan v. Defs. of Wildlife, 504 U.S. 555, 560-61, 112 S.Ct. 2130, 119 L.Ed.2d 351 (1992)). La Clínica has not suffered an injury in fact that is traceable to California’s Medicaid billing methods because as the district court correctly observed, if La Clínica believes that Option 2 is illegal, it can proceed under Option 1. La Clínica has not provided any reason why it cannot proceed under Option 1 or evidence of disadvantage. Also, a favorable court determination would not redress La Clinica’s claimed injury because, if Option 2 was unavailable on the ground that it violated federal law, La Clínica would have to utilize Option 1, an option freely available to it now.

AFFIRMED.

**

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.

Reference

Full Case Name
LA CLÍNICA DE LA RAZA, INC., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH and Human Services; David Maxwell-Jolly, Director of California Department of Health Care Services, Health and Human Services Agency, State of California; The State of California, Defendants-Appellees
Status
Unpublished