Bowen, Otis R., Secretary of Health and Human Services v. Georgetown University Hospital, et al.

Decided December 12, 1988. Anthony McLeod Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 87-1097 · 488 U.S. 204 (1988) · Cited 2,039 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 9–0.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Addison v. Holly Hill Fruit Products, Inc. · 322 U.S. 607 (1944)
• National Labor Relations Board v. Wyman-Gordon Co. · 394 U.S. 759 (1969)
• Securities & Exchange Commission v. Chenery Corp. · 332 U.S. 194 (1947)
• Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. · 467 U.S. 837 (1984)
• Securities & Exchange Commission v. Chenery Corp. · 318 U.S. 80 (1943)
• Burlington Truck Lines, Inc. v. United States · 371 U.S. 156 (1962)
• Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. · 435 U.S. 519 (1978)
• Chrysler Corp. v. Brown · 441 U.S. 281 (1979)
• Usery v. Turner Elkhorn Mining Co. · 428 U.S. 1 (1976)
• National Labor Relations Board v. Bell Aerospace Co. · 416 U.S. 267 (1974)
• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation v. RA Gray & Co. · 467 U.S. 717 (1984)
• Investment Company Institute v. Camp · 401 U.S. 617 (1971)
• Chemical Manufacturers Ass'n v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. · 470 U.S. 116 (1985)
• United States v. Morgan · 307 U.S. 183 (1939)
• Steadman v. Securities & Exchange Commission · 450 U.S. 91 (1981)
• Greene v. United States · 376 U.S. 149 (1964)
• Young v. Community Nutrition Institute · 476 U.S. 974 (1986)
• Miller v. United States · 294 U.S. 435 (1935)
• United States v. Magnolia Petroleum Co. · 276 U.S. 160 (1928)
• Claridge Apartments Co. v. Commissioner · 323 U.S. 141 (1944)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Landgraf v. USI Film Products · 511 U.S. 244 (1994)
• Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. v. Bonjorno · 494 U.S. 827 (1990)
• Good Samaritan Hospital v. Shalala · 508 U.S. 402 (1993)
• Gregory v. Ashcroft · 501 U.S. 452 (1991)
• Rivers v. Roadway Express, Inc. · 511 U.S. 298 (1994)
• Kisor v. Wilkie · 588 U.S. 558 (2019)
• Martin v. Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission · 499 U.S. 144 (1991)
• Federal Express Corp. v. Holowecki · 552 U.S. 389 (2008)
• United States v. Mead Corp. · 533 U.S. 218 (2001)
• Smiley v. Citibank (South Dakota), N. A. · 517 U.S. 735 (1996)
• Christopher v. Smithkline Beecham Corp. · 567 U.S. 142 (2012)
• Republic of Austria v. Altmann · 541 U.S. 677 (2004)
• Long Island Care at Home, Ltd. v. Coke · 551 U.S. 158 (2007)
• Starbucks Corp. v. McKinney · 602 U.S. 339 (2024)
• Immigration & Naturalization Service v. St. Cyr · 533 U.S. 289 (2001)
• Auer v. Robbins · 519 U.S. 452 (1997)
• Christensen v. Harris County · 529 U.S. 576 (2000)
• Thomas Jefferson University v. Shalala · 512 U.S. 504 (1994)
• Eastern Enterprises v. Apfel · 524 U.S. 498 (1998)
• Estate of Cowart v. Nicklos Drilling Co. · 505 U.S. 469 (1992)
• Pauley v. BethEnergy Mines, Inc. · 501 U.S. 680 (1991)
• Barnhart v. Peabody Coal Co. · 537 U.S. 149 (2003)
• Doe v. Chao · 540 U.S. 614 (2004)
• Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio v. Betts · 492 U.S. 158 (1989)
• Republic National Bank of Miami v. United States · 506 U.S. 80 (1992)
• Adams Fruit Co. v. Barrett · 494 U.S. 638 (1990)
• Chase Bank USA, N. A. v. McCoy · 562 U.S. 195 (2011)
• New Process Steel, L. P. v. National Labor Relations Board · 560 U.S. 674 (2010)
• Regions Hospital v. Shalala · 522 U.S. 448 (1998)
• Pulsifer v. United States · 601 U.S. 124 (2024)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).