On Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld a major portion of President Barack Obama’s signature health law, giving supporters hope. Justices upheld the individual mandate which required Americans to purchase health insurance or pay an applicable tax.
This ruling was the latest in a string of high-profile cases that have highlighted the legal divide between conservative and liberal judges. It could potentially prolong uncertainty regarding the law’s future for years to come.
What do you think about the supreme court’s ruling on the affordable care act?
What do you think about the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act?
The ruling that the Affordable Care Act was upheld is a major victory for millions of people. Without it, millions more Americans would have lost health insurance coverage and millions with preexisting medical conditions would have been left without protections against insurers turning them away or charging more for coverage.
Though the outcome appears straightforward — upholding the law as written — there are significant disagreements within the court over its interpretation. Chief Justice Roberts wrote the opinion that upheld the law, while four of his liberal colleagues argued against it.
At oral arguments, Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh expressed that it appeared unlikely that a majority of the Supreme Court would vote to invalidate all aspects of the Affordable Care Act. Even if only the individual mandate were unconstitutional, liberal justices on the court would likely still uphold it.
This is an enormous victory for the Affordable Care Act, as it has safeguarded millions of Americans with preexisting medical conditions and allowed young adults to remain on their parents’ plans until age 26. Additionally, it has prevented the loss of Medicaid funds and subsidies that support subsidized private markets where many Americans purchase health insurance.
However, it is likely that the ACA could face legal challenge at the state level in the future. Particularly, new regulations from President Biden that require religious employers to cover contraceptives free of charge are expected to be challenged by states.
Justice Alito expressed his disbelief that the Court had managed to save the ACA, noting that state plaintiffs had no standing to challenge its individual mandate because they weren’t affected by it. Furthermore, he noted that other provisions of the ACA weren’t inextricably linked with that mandate and thus didn’t need upholding either.
What do you think about the court’s decision?
What do you think about the court’s decision?
In a 7-2 decision, the supreme court has upheld the Affordable Care Act and kept it intact despite threats of lawsuits from conservatives. They ruled that plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge either the health law or individual mandate which requires all Americans to obtain insurance or pay a tax penalty.
In conclusion, the court determined that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is not unconstitutional and will remain in place until a new president takes office. However, they did not reach a definitive decision as to whether the entirety of ACA is constitutional – an issue which could remain debated for years to come.
Last November, Justices John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh indicated they did not believe the entire law should be overturned. However, it remained uncertain if they and the three liberal justices on the other court would support upholding all of it even if just the individual mandate were declared unconstitutional.
Contrast this with the court’s 2012 ruling on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which found that the individual mandate was not unconstitutional. Chief Justice John Roberts joined Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan in ruling that this tax was constitutional.
Many have decried the court’s decision this time around. Some view it as a slight against those millions of Americans who have gained coverage since the Affordable Care Act took effect, while others argue that it’s an important step toward safeguarding people with pre-existing conditions from being denied healthcare services.
President Donald Trump had sought to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, the Supreme Court previously rejected his efforts in a 6-3 ruling.
