(Note: This is part 3 of a series in which I examine opinions written by Amy Coney Barrett during her tenure on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. My intention is to gain and provide insight into her approach to legal analysis, beyond the headlines and partisan spin. Part 1 can be found here; Part 2 can be found here.)
Federal Tort Claims: Chronis v. The United States
Anna Chronis had an annual checkup at University of Illinois Mile Health Center in June 2015. As part of her physical, she underwent a gynecological exam, which she says left her bruised and in pain. Chronis made several attempts to contact the doctor who performed the exam, the Center itself, and finally the Health Center grievance committee. She wrote letters, detailing her injuries and the costs incurred due to her receiving follow up care for them. The bills, mileage and expenses she claimed added up to $332. None of her requests for help received a response, so Chronis, a Medicaid beneficiary, wrote a letter to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency who oversees the programs. In her letter, she stated that she believed the Health Center was liable for the damages caused by the doctor they employed and that she incurred many out-of-pocket costs for seeking follow-up treatment. She included a numbered list of what she…
