Maxwell-Jolly

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

This matter is before the court on plaintiffs California Association of Rural Health Clinics (“CARHC”) and Avenal Community Health Center (“ACHC”) (collectively, “plaintiffs”) motion for summary judgment. The parties agree this case presents purely legal questions involving the federal Medicaid law definitions of mandatory Rural Health Clinic (“RHC”) and Federally-Qualified Health Center (“FQHC”) services benefits, and thus, resolution of the case via plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment is appropriate.

Plaintiffs contend Congress defined both Medicare and Medicaid RHC and FQHC services benefits to include the Medicare core service identified in 42 U.S.C. § 1395x(aa)(l), which plaintiffs assert requires both programs to reimburse RHCs and FQHCs for the services of medical doctors, dentists, and subject to certain limitations, the services of optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors. California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, formerly reimbursed RHCs and FQHCs for adult dental, chiropractic, optometric and podiatric services. However, on February 19, 2009, the California legislature adopted California Welfare & Institutions Code § 14131.10 (“§ 14131.10”)…