United States Fourth Circuit

Rulings that "reimbursements", as used in formula provided by Coal Industry Retiree Health Benefit Act of 1992, unambiguously refers to the total payments that Medicare made to the 1950 and 1974 Benefit Plans in the base year, are affirmed as "reimbursements" is an unambiguous historical term of art used by Congress to refer to the total reimbursements that Medicare actually made, using a capitation method, to the 1950 and 1974 Benefit Plans during the base year. As Congress did not delegate interpretative authority to the Commissioner to construe "reimbursements," her interpretation of "reimbursements" is not entitled to deference under Chevron.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/21/2006
• Published 12/21/2006

Judges

• Before NIEMEYER, TRAXLER, and SHEDD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Jeffrey A. Clair, United States Department of Justice, Civil Division, Appellate Section, Washington, D.C.;  Stephen John Pollak, Goodwin & Proctor, L.L.P., Washington, D.C., for Appellants.   John Ray Woodrum, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., Washington, D.C., for Appellees.   ON BRIEF:  Peter D. Keisler, Assistant Attorney General, Rod J. Rosenstein, United States Attorney, William Kanter, United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., for Federal Appellant.  William J. Murphy, Murphy & Shaffer, L.L.C., Baltimore, Maryland;  Howard R. Rubin, William E. Copley, III, Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, L.L.P., Washington, D.C.;  John Townsend Rich, Goodwin & Proctor, L.L.P., Washington, D.C., for Appellant Trustees of the UMWA Combined Benefit Fund. Margaret S. Lopez, W. Gregory Mott, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., Washington, D.C.;  Mary Lou Smith, Robert J. Weil, Howe, Anderson & Steyer, P.C., Washington, D.C.;  Douglas K. Spaulding, Reed Smith, L.L.P., Washington, D.C.;   Elliott Schulder, Covington & Burling, Washington, D.C.;  R. Michael Smith, Dechert, L.L.P., Washington, D.C., for Appellees.