The Academy teamed with the AMA and other physician organizations to file a supporting brief last week for the appeal of the verdict in Consumers Checkbook v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In 2006, the Consumers Checkbook organization sought Medicare claims data for all procedures performed in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Illinois and Washington during 2004, citing the Freedom of Information Act. When the request was denied based on existing privacy law, Consumer Checkbook brought suit. A federal court in the District of Columbia ordered the data released last summer, but release was delayed through an injunction pending the appeal filed by the U.S Department of Justice on behalf of HHS.