Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services v. Heidi Ahlborn
547 U.S. 268 · Decided May 1, 2006 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services v. Heidi Ahlborn was decided on May 1, 2006 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Poverty law, statutory welfare benefits” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 547 U.S. 268 · 126 S. Ct. 1752 · 164 L. Ed. 2d 459 · 2006 U.S. LEXIS 3455
- Docket number
- 04-1506
- Decided
- May 1, 2006
- Argued
- February 27, 2006
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Poverty law, statutory welfare benefits
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Medicaid (Social Security Act)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Majority |
Full case caption
Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services, et al. v. Heidi Ahlborn
SCDB identifiers: case 2005-050, docket 2005-050-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Poverty law, statutory welfare benefits”
- Jo Anne B. Barnhart v. Peabody Coal Company
- Department of Housing and Urban Development v. Pearlie Rucker
- Jeffrey Allan Fischer v. United States
- Eloise Anderson v. Verna Edwards, Etc.
- Biestek v. Berryhill
- Henry G. Cisneros v. Alpine Ridge Group
Cases on the same legal provision: Medicaid (Social Security Act)
- Astra USA, Inc. v. Santa Clara County
- Aldona Wos v. E. M. A.
- L. Douglas Wilder v. Virginia Hospital Association
- Gallardo v. Marstiller
- Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic
- Harris v. McRae
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Anthony Kane v. Joe Garcia Espitia
- Schaffer v. Weast
- Joan Wagnon v. Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
- Anthony Ash v. Tyson Foods, Inc.
- Domino's Pizza, Inc. v. John McDonald
- Jenifer Arbaugh v. Y & H Corporation
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error