Supreme Court Dismisses Case: ACA Stands!

We received great news on Thursday, June 17th: the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that leaves the Affordable Care Act fully in place. We are celebrating this news that means so much to the millions of patients who have health insurance coverage as a result of the law!

The case dismissed by the Supreme Court last week, California v. Texas, had the potential to invalidate the entire law. That would have meant the loss of numerous patient protections that you and so many advocates in the public health community have fought so hard to implement and defend.

Because of the Supreme Court decision:

• Patients still cannot be charged more for health insurance because they have a pre-existing condition.
• Health plans will continue to offer essential benefits needed to prevent and treat serious conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
• Health plans will still be prohibited from placing arbitrary dollar limits on coverage.
• Eligible consumers buying a health plan in the Health Insurance Marketplace will continue to benefit from federal tax credits that make their plan more affordable.
• Millions of people in the 39 states that have expanded Medicaid will maintain access to health coverage.
• Federal investments in public health infrastructure through the Prevention and Public Health Fund will continue.

So many of us are breathing a sigh of relief, and I’m grateful that patients remain protected by the Affordable Care Act. Still, our work continues.

We issued a news release last week with our public health partners that states, “On behalf of the millions of patients our organizations represent, we stand ready to assist lawmakers in efforts to strengthen the law and ensure all patients can access the quality care they need.”

Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, in support of improving access to quality health care for everyone in America!