Posted
Jun 28 2012
Type:
Group Health Benefits
This morning the Supreme Court made their final decision regarding the constitutionality of President Obama’s 2010 healthcare bill.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act, which will expand health insurance coverage to millions of Americans, has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The decision was split 5-4 in favor of upholding the mandate. According to
NBC News, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, saying that individual mandate cannot be upheld under the commerce clause, but that the law is permissible under the congressional power to tax. Many are confused by this ruling because during congressional debate, the Obama administration declared that the new healthcare legislation was not a tax. However, the Obama administration has now assumed a legal position, claiming that the law is valid under congressional taxing authority. In their dissenting opinion, the remaining four justices wrote that the court’s interpretation of the statute is a “vast judicial overreaching” that creates an “inoperable version of healthcare legislation.”
Although the law was accepted, the decision came with a
caveat. States may choose whether or not to comply with Medicaid expansion without fear of consequence from the federal government.
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Tags:
Health Insurance; Legislation; Healthcare Legislation; Supreme Court; Healthcare Reform