Affordable Care Act News

Supreme Court rejects challenge to health care law that insures millions of Americans

Millions of Americans will continue to have access to affordable and quality health care with the rejection of a challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 7-2 decision saying that those challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act did not have the legal right to contest the law. Those bringing the lawsuit didn’t have enough to bring the case “because they have not shown a past or future injury” due to the law.

An issue in the lawsuit was whether the ACA was invalidated by Congress’ 2017 decision to zero out the penalty on taxpayers who failed to abide by the so-called individual mandate that required most Americans to have health insurance, or they would pay a penalty. Those challenging the law said eliminating that tax penalty made the whole ACA unconstitutional.

But the Supreme Court did not rule on the substance of the case, deciding instead that those bringing the challenge could not show they have been harmed by the law, and so the justices dismissed the challenge. With this decision, the ACA has survived three high court challenges and a slew of attempts to get Congress to repeal the law.