{"argument_date":"2019-01-15T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2019-01-15T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2018","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Kneedler argued Section 1395hh did not require notice-and-comment rulemaking.","He stated the agency only shared a calculation component with contractors.","Mr. Shah argued the agency reduced hospital payment rights by billions of dollars.","He claimed the agency made a legal determination without proper procedure."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 25-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 25-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 47-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 47-53"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 17-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 17-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 31-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 31-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 51-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 51-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 37-53"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 47-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 47-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 51-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 51-53"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 51-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 51-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 43-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 43-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 27-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 27-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 17-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 25-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 25-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 47-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 47-21"}]}],"caption":"Azar v. Allina Health Services","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:20.303957Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Hospitals argue the agency bypassed required procedures to cut their payments.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 37-53"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 51-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 51-53"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2019-01-15T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2018","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/17-1484.html","primary_docket":"17-1484","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-30T18:00:12.374220Z","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 dispute centers on how Medicare calculates hospital reimbursement. Hospitals claim the agency changed payment rules without proper notice. The government argues this was an internal calculation, not a rule."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 37-53"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 51-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 51-53"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on January 15, 2019."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-21"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Hospitals want the Court to strike down the agency's calculation method.","The government wants the Court to uphold the agency's internal calculation."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 37-53"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 51-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 51-53"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Hospitals argue the agency changed a legal standard without notice-and-comment.","The government argues the agency merely shared an internal calculation with contractors."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 37-53"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 51-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 51-53"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Sotomayor asked why Congress changed the statutory language from the APA standard.","Justice Breyer asked why the advocate did not directly address the policy statement concern."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 25-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 25-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 47-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 47-53"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 17-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 17-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 31-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 31-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 51-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 51-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 47-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 47-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 51-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 51-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 43-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 43-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 27-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 27-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 17-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 25-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 25-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 47-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 47-21"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the boundary between agency rules and internal calculations. It determines when hospitals must receive formal notice before payment changes. The outcome shapes administrative agency power over healthcare funding."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 37-53"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 51-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 51-53"}]},{"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 10, lines 25-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 25-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 47-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 47-53"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 17-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 17-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 31-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 31-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 51-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 51-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 47-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 47-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 51-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 51-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 43-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 43-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 27-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 27-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 17-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 25-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 25-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 47-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 47-21"}]}],"slug":"2018-17-1484-azar-v-allina-health-services","term":"2018","title":"Does Medicare's internal calculation method require formal rulemaking?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 37-53"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 51-53","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1484_8o6a.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 51-53"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}