{"argument_date":"2001-12-03T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2001-12-03T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2001","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","paragraphs":["Ms. Flanagan argued Congress enacted the protections to prevent spousal impoverishment.","Mr. Hagopian explained the resource-first rule applies to the community spouse.","Mr. Lamken addressed proposed regulations regarding calculation methods."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 21-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 21-23"}]}],"caption":"Wisconsin Dept. of Health and Family Servs. v. Blumer","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.733760Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Wisconsin and a nursing home patient dispute the order for calculating financial eligibility.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2001-12-03T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2001","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/00-952.html","primary_docket":"00-952","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T17:25:30.571981Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["The case tests how states must apply federal Medicaid rules for spouses."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on December 3, 2001."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Wisconsin wants to apply the resource-first rule for eligibility.","Blumer wants the court to reject the resource-first approach."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Wisconsin argues the resource-first rule fits the statutory text.","Blumer argues the income-first rule better serves the statute's purpose."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Does the statute mandate a specific calculation order for assets and income?","Do proposed federal regulations allow states to choose the calculation method?"],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 21-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 21-23"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["The outcome defines how states calculate Medicaid eligibility for institutionalized spouses. It determines whether a community spouse keeps more or less income. This directly affects access to long-term nursing home care."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 21-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 21-23"}]}],"slug":"2001-00-952-wisconsin-dept-of-health-and-family-servs-v-blumer","term":"2001","title":"Does the Medicaid Act require states to count a spouse's income before their assets?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 19-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 19-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-952.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-35"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}