University at Buffalo (UB)
Medical policy expert Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, predicts the Affordable Care Act has overcome its final serious legal challenge.
Supreme Court Could End Legal Attacks on Affordable Care Act
Published September 8, 2015 This content is archived.
story based on news release by rachel stern
The Affordable Care Act survived its final serious challenge when the Supreme Court voted to approve tax subsidies for those buying health insurance through a federal exchange, says medical policy expert Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, senior associate dean for health policy.
The court's 6-3 decision affects about 6.4 million people in the 34 states that do not operate their own health insurance exchanges.
Ruling Ensures the Law’s Structure Will Remain
“This could be the end of serious legal attacks on Obamacare,” said Nielsen.
Although there will still be legal challenges and political moves to alter the law, this Supreme Court decision will allow the structure to remain.
“Everything was riding on this. Now the country and Congress can get serious about fixing the things in the law that need improvement,” she said.
Biggest Decline of Uninsured in Decades
As a result of the Affordable Care Act the country has seen the biggest decline in uninsured citizens in decades.
This June 25 ruling assures subsidies exist for anyone who qualifies for them, regardless of the state where they live.
“Even those states where opposition to the Affordable Care Act still rages should breathe a little easier today knowing their citizens will not suffer and their tax dollars will not flow to the 16 states who operate their own exchange,” she said.