Health Center - Health Care Reform
Health care coverage is important for all Americans, and the Affordable Care Act will significantly change the type of coverage we have and access to that coverage. Learn more here about expansion of covered preventive services, an end to lifetime limits, reduced barriers due to preexisting conditions, mandated coverage for all Americans and other changes that may affect you and your loved ones.
Challenges to the Health Care Law
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to examine the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on March 26-28 and is likely to announce its ruling in June. The two biggest issues facing the court are whether Congress overstepped its legal authority in passing the "individual mandate" and whether the federal government can order a major expansion of Medicaid, a joint state and federal program that provides health insurance to the poor.
When fully enacted, the ACA would be the largest expansion of health care coverage since Medicare was established in 1965. The health reform act, which was approved by Congress and signed by the president in 2010, will offer coverage to approximately 32 million of the 50 million uninsured Americans.
Numerous lawsuits have been filed against the ACA by states, businesses and individuals. Most lawsuits have challenged the "individual mandate" portion of the health care reform act that requires most citizens and legal residents with income above the threshold for filing federal income taxes to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty, beginning in 2014. When fully implemented in 2016, the individual mandate is expected to add insurance for 16 million people who are now uninsured.
The Supreme Court has agreed to review the case brought by 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Business. In that case, Florida v. HHS, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge ruled that the individual mandate was unconstitutional but that the other ACA provisions could stand and that the Medicaid expansion was constitutional. In reviewing the case, the Supreme Court will address four questions:
