{"title":"岛屿案例重访:关岛、联邦医疗补助基金和宪法从属关系。","authors":"Dillon Kim","doi":"10.1017/amj.2025.10072","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The <i>Insular Cases</i>, a relic of imperial-era judicial reasoning, have long dictated the political and constitutional status of U.S. territories. In <i>United States v. Vaello-Madeo</i>, Justice Neil Gorsuch's concurring opinion signaled a critical moment for reevaluating these precedents. This Note examines the enduring consequences of the <i>Insular Cases</i>, focusing on the Pacific Island Territory of Guam as a case study. Specifically, it explores how Guam's political subordination-rooted in the judicial distinction between incorporated and unincorporated territories-has led to disparities in federal Medicaid funding. By analyzing the relationship between territorial representation in Congress and the structural inequities in health care funding, this Note argues that the constitutional instability caused by the <i>Insular Cases</i> presents a ripe opportunity for legal challenge. Justice Gorsuch's opinion opens a path for reconsidering the <i>Insular Cases</i>, with federal Medicaid funding serving as a compelling vehicle for addressing the broader constitutional and democratic deficiencies imposed on U.S. territories.</p>","PeriodicalId":7680,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Law & Medicine","volume":"51 2","pages":"376-391"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"The Insular Cases Revisited: Guam, Federal Medicaid Funding, and Constitutional Subordination.\",\"authors\":\"Dillon Kim\",\"doi\":\"10.1017/amj.2025.10072\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<p><p>The <i>Insular Cases</i>, a relic of imperial-era judicial reasoning, have long dictated the political and constitutional status of U.S. territories. In <i>United States v. Vaello-Madeo</i>, Justice Neil Gorsuch's concurring opinion signaled a critical moment for reevaluating these precedents. This Note examines the enduring consequences of the <i>Insular Cases</i>, focusing on the Pacific Island Territory of Guam as a case study. Specifically, it explores how Guam's political subordination-rooted in the judicial distinction between incorporated and unincorporated territories-has led to disparities in federal Medicaid funding. By analyzing the relationship between territorial representation in Congress and the structural inequities in health care funding, this Note argues that the constitutional instability caused by the <i>Insular Cases</i> presents a ripe opportunity for legal challenge. Justice Gorsuch's opinion opens a path for reconsidering the <i>Insular Cases</i>, with federal Medicaid funding serving as a compelling vehicle for addressing the broader constitutional and democratic deficiencies imposed on U.S. territories.</p>\",\"PeriodicalId\":7680,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"American Journal of Law & Medicine\",\"volume\":\"51 2\",\"pages\":\"376-391\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":0.6000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-07-01\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"American Journal of Law & Medicine\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"90\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1017/amj.2025.10072\",\"RegionNum\":4,\"RegionCategory\":\"社会学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"2025/9/16 0:00:00\",\"PubModel\":\"Epub\",\"JCR\":\"Q3\",\"JCRName\":\"LAW\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"American Journal of Law & Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1017/amj.2025.10072","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/9/16 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"LAW","Score":null,"Total":0}
The Insular Cases Revisited: Guam, Federal Medicaid Funding, and Constitutional Subordination.
The Insular Cases, a relic of imperial-era judicial reasoning, have long dictated the political and constitutional status of U.S. territories. In United States v. Vaello-Madeo, Justice Neil Gorsuch's concurring opinion signaled a critical moment for reevaluating these precedents. This Note examines the enduring consequences of the Insular Cases, focusing on the Pacific Island Territory of Guam as a case study. Specifically, it explores how Guam's political subordination-rooted in the judicial distinction between incorporated and unincorporated territories-has led to disparities in federal Medicaid funding. By analyzing the relationship between territorial representation in Congress and the structural inequities in health care funding, this Note argues that the constitutional instability caused by the Insular Cases presents a ripe opportunity for legal challenge. Justice Gorsuch's opinion opens a path for reconsidering the Insular Cases, with federal Medicaid funding serving as a compelling vehicle for addressing the broader constitutional and democratic deficiencies imposed on U.S. territories.
期刊介绍:
desde Enero 2004 Último Numero: Octubre 2008 AJLM will solicit blind comments from expert peer reviewers, including faculty members of our editorial board, as well as from other preeminent health law and public policy academics and professionals from across the country and around the world.