Hong Pham v. Michael P. Starkowski

Summary

The court reversed the trial court’s judgment declaring the challenged provisions unconstitutional and permanently enjoining their enforcement. It held that neither provision discriminated on the basis of alienage because the state-only program benefited only aliens, while the separate federal Medicaid program was governed and substantially funded by the federal government, and the SAGA-medical eligibility rule applied equally to citizens and aliens. Because no alienage classification was established, the court did not decide whether rational-basis or strict-scrutiny review would apply to federally authorized alienage classifications.