Case: City of Columbus v. Kennedy

1:25-cv-02114 | U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

Filed Date: July 1, 2025

Case Ongoing

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Case Summary

This case challenged a rule published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) which allegedly endangered 24 million Americans' health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). CMS, which is a subagency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), proposed the challenged rule in March 2025, soon after the Trump Administration took office. The rule, entitled "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Marketplace Integrity and Affordability," allegedly added sever…

This case challenged a rule published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) which allegedly endangered 24 million Americans' health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). CMS, which is a subagency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), proposed the challenged rule in March 2025, soon after the Trump Administration took office. The rule, entitled "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Marketplace Integrity and Affordability," allegedly added several roadblocks to the acquisition of ACA health insurance; these included new fees, reductions in the enrollment period, and even a revocation of the ACA's central promise that any American can purchase health insurance. Plaintiffs alleged that defendants' actions violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).

Plaintiffs the City of Columbus, the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, the City of Chicago, Doctors for America, and the Main Street Alliance filed this lawsuit on July 1, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. The lawsuit named HHS, its Secretary, CMS, and its Administrator as defendants. Plaintiffs were represented by Democracy Forward. Plaintiffs sought a declaration that the CMS rule was unlawful under the APA; vacatur of the rule; a stay of, and preliminary and permanent injunctions against, the rule's enforcement; and attorneys' fees. The case was assigned to Judge Brendan Abell Hurson.

This case is ongoing.

Summary Authors

Matt Petrillo (7/7/2025)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70684987/parties/city-of-columbus-v-kennedy/


Attorney for Plaintiff

Coogl, Christine L (Maryland)

McElvain, Joel L (Maryland)

Robinson, Cortney R (Maryland)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document
1

1:25-cv-02114

Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Complaint

Resources

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70684987/city-of-columbus-v-kennedy/

Last updated July 7, 2025, 11:55 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT against CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR, MEHMET OZ ( Filing fee $ 405 receipt number AMDDC-12075996.), filed by CITY OF CHICAGO, DOCTORS FOR AMERICA, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, CITY OF COLUMBUS, MAIN STREET ALLIANCE. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons, # 3 Summons, # 4 Summons, # 5 Summons, # 6 Summons, # 7 Summons, # 8 Attachment Corporate Disclosure Statement, # 9 Attachment Corporate Disclosure Statement, # 10 Attachment Corporate Disclosure Statement, # 11 Attachment Corporate Disclosure Statement, # 12 Attachment Corporate Disclosure Statement)(McElvain, Joel) (Entered: 07/01/2025)

1 Civil Cover Sheet

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2 Summons

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3 Summons

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4 Summons

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5 Summons

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6 Summons

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7 Summons

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8 Attachment Corporate Disclosure Statement

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9 Attachment Corporate Disclosure Statement

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10 Attachment Corporate Disclosure Statement

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11 Attachment Corporate Disclosure Statement

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12 Attachment Corporate Disclosure Statement

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July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Clearinghouse
2

NOTICE of Appearance by Christine L Coogle, Coogl on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Coogle, Christine) (Additional attachment(s) added on 7/2/2025: # 1 FLATTENED Main Document) (bw5s). (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
3

Consent MOTION for Leave to File Excess Pages by CITY OF CHICAGO, CITY OF COLUMBUS, DOCTORS FOR AMERICA, MAIN STREET ALLIANCE, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Coogle, Christine) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
4

NOTICE of Appearance by Joel L McElvain on behalf of CITY OF CHICAGO, CITY OF COLUMBUS, DOCTORS FOR AMERICA, MAIN STREET ALLIANCE, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE (McElvain, Joel) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
5

MOTION to Appear Pro Hac Vice for Cortney Robinson (Filing fee $100, receipt number AMDDC-12078379.) by CITY OF CHICAGO, CITY OF COLUMBUS, DOCTORS FOR AMERICA, MAIN STREET ALLIANCE, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE(Coogle, Christine) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
6

QC NOTICE: 1 Complaint,, filed by Main Street Alliance, Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, Doctors for America, City of Chicago, City of Columbus was filed incorrectly. **Your 103.3 Disclosure Statement must be filed as a separate entry using the event Local Rule 103.3 Disclosure Statement (Other Filings -> Other Documents -> Local Rule 103.3 Disclosure Statement). Your document has been accepted by court staff. No action is required on your part at this time. (bw5s, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
7

QC NOTICE: 2 Notice of Appearance filed by Main Street Alliance, Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, Doctors for America, City of Chicago, City of Columbus was filed incorrectly. **Not all pdf documents were flattened prior to filing. All pdfs uploaded to CM/ECF MUST BE FLATTENED for all future filings. Failure to comply may result in rejected filings and delays in case processing. **This filing has been corrected by court staff and no further corrective action is required. (bw5s, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
8

Summons Issued 60 days as to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, Mehmet Oz, United States Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Attorney and U.S. Attorney General(bw5s, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
9

PAPERLESS ORDER granting 5 Motion to Appear Pro Hac Vice on behalf of Cortney R Robinson. Directing attorney Cortney R Robinson to register for pro hac vice filing in the District of Maryland through PACER at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/ if attorney has not already done so. The Pro Hac Vice option must be selected when registering. Signed by Clerk on 7/2/2025. (mh4s, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
10

ORDER granting 3 Consent MOTION for Leave to File Excess Pages. Signed by Judge Brendan Abell Hurson on 7/2/2025. (bw5s, Deputy Clerk) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER
11

MOTION for Other Relief for Stay under 5 U.S.C. 705 or, in the Alternative, for Preliminary Injunction by City of Chicago, City of Columbus, Doctors for America, Main Street Alliance, Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Affidavit Decl. of Christen Linke Young, # 3 Affidavit Decl. of Shawn Phetteplace, # 4 Affidavit Decl. of Brooke Legler, # 5 Affidavit Decl. of Dr. Janet Krommes, # 6 Affidavit Decl. of Dr. Beth Oller, # 7 Affidavit Decl. of Edward Johnson, # 8 Affidavit Decl. of Faith Leach, # 9 Affidavit Decl. of Dr. Olusimbo Ige, # 10 Text of Proposed Order)(McElvain, Joel) (Entered: 07/02/2025)

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

PACER

Case Details