The Supreme Court will listen to the legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act that has been working its way through the courts. The court made its decision to hear the case Monday, March 2.
This will be the third time the highest court will decide the fate of the healthcare law. The case stems from a lawsuit launched by 20 Republican-led states. The case will be heard in the court’s new term beginning in October, meaning a decision could come after the 2020 election.
Republicans attempted to overthrow the healthcare law in its entirety––including popular provisions of the ACA such as protections for those with pre-existing conditions and allowing children to remain on their parents’ health insurance plan until they are 26. The Trump administration has supported the challenge.
After the individual mandate piece of the law was essentially scrapped after Republicans brought down the financial penalty to $0 in the 2018 Budget Act, a judge agreed the entire law should be tossed and was unconstitutional. The case has been back and forth through the appeals process since, eventually making its way to the Supreme Court.
The ACA has remained the law of the land since the individual mandate disappeared and appeared to be functioning well over the last year, contrary to the decision that without the mandate, the law would collapse.
The court denied taking the case with expedited scheduling.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."