MS Speaks

Supreme Court Upholds Key Part of Affordable Care Act

By Kelly Young

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH

Today the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a key provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

In King v. Burwell, the court voted 6 to 3 that people who sign up for health insurance through the federal exchange are eligible for tax subsidies.

The argument hinged on the phrase "an Exchange established by the State," which the court decided meant established by either the federal or state government, not simply state.

The petitioners live in Virginia, which does not operate its own state exchange. Instead, people enroll through the federal exchange. The petitioners, who did not want to purchase health insurance, argued that this means they should not have been eligible for a tax credit (if not eligible for credit, then the cost of insurance would exceed 8% of their incomes, and they would be exempt from purchasing it).

Justices Roberts, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan were the majority vote.

Various physician groups voiced their support of the decision. In a statement, the president of the American College of Physicians said, "we are thrilled and gratified by the Court's ruling, which affirms that the citizens of all 50 states will have the opportunity to access either a state or federal exchange to obtain subsidies to purchase health insurance policies which benefits themselves, their families and loved ones."

- See more at: http://www.jwatch.org/fw110350/2015/06/25/supreme-court-upholds-key-part-affordable-care-act?query=pfwRS#sthash.toQAXnjo.dpuf