ED ABEL LYNN B. MARES KELLY S. BISHOP LUKE ABEL MARIANO ACUÑA NICHOLAS J. LARBY Of Counsel: Leo H. Whinery Warner E. Lovell Jr.

BRIEFS ________________ ABEL LAW FIRM ATTORNEYS AT LAW ____________________

900 N.E. 63rd Street Oklahoma City OK 73105 405-239-7046 800-739-ABEL (in OK) FAX 405-418-0833 Editor: Lynn Brusin Mares lbmares@abellawfirm.com

· LIENS & SUBROGATION

Although last issue’s brief summary of liens and subrogation rights was not meant to thoroughly cover the subject, we have had questions about the U.S. Supreme Court case involving Medicaid, Arkansas Dept. of Health and Human Services v. Ahlborn,

547 U.S. 268 (2006). The court held state Medicaid agencies’ claims for reimbursement from tort settlements are limited to that portion of the settlement attributable to past medical expenses – not to compensation for pain and suffering, permanent disability or future damages.