US officials dropped their appeal of a UnitedHealth Group Inc. lawsuit challenging the federal Medicare program’s quality ratings, a potential boon for insurers protesting the rankings that drive billions of dollars in payments to private plans.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has abruptly withdrawn from a legal battle with UnitedHealth (UNH) Group, the nation’s largest Medicare

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reversed course Friday on a plan to appeal UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage star ratings win. Outgoing U.S. Attorney Damien Diggs notified the court on his last day in office Tuesday that CMS intended to appeal the unfavorable ruling.