A sharply divided decision from the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday highlighted the legal minefield that California must navigate while trimming its budget.

When considering whether the state should be allowed to lower reimbursement rates for doctors who treat the poor as part of California’s Medi-Cal program, the court decided to punt the case back to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The 5-4 decision provided little clarity for state officials, who are still assessing its consequences for Medi-Cal. At stake is tens of millions of dollars in state taxpayer money, according to Gov. Jerry Brown's Department of Finance.

The 9th Circuit Court had previously stopped the state from lowering its rates, but the Obama administration said the cuts could go forward, leading to contradictory signals from two different branches of the federal government.