Mar. 20 at 11:35 PM
$CLOV
Judge Lisa Godbey Wood is generally considered a conservative-leaning, "law & order" judge, but in the specific context of Clover Health’s lawsuit against CMS, her history makes her more of a wildcard than a strictly pro-defendant or pro-plaintiff jurist.
Here is how her background & recent rulings factor into the Clover vs. CMS case:
The "Anti-Agency" Streak (Bullish for Clover)
While typically conservative (appointed by George W. Bush), Judge Wood has shown a recent willingness to push back against federal agency overreach, particularly regarding CMS.
The Georgia Medicaid Ruling (2022): In a major blow to the Biden administration, she ruled that CMS's decision to rescind Georgia’s "Pathways" Medicaid waiver was "arbitrary and capricious." * Why it matters: Clover’s entire case rests on the argument that CMS’s star rating downgrade was "arbitrary and capricious" and "unlawful." Wood has already proven she is willing to rule that CMS has exceeded its legal authority.
