US Supreme Court rejects another challenge to ObamaCare

Washington, Jun 17 (EFE).- The Supreme Court of the United States overturned on Thursday a federal appellate ruling striking down the health-care reform that was the signature domestic policy of Democrat Barack Obama’s 2009-2017 presidency.

By a vote of 7-2, the court threw out a decision that found in favor of a lawsuit brought by Texas and 16 other Republican-led states against the 2010 Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as ObamaCare.

This marks the third time the nation’s highest court has upheld the constitutionality of the ACA.

The administration of President Joe Biden – who was Obama’s vice president – credits the legislation with allowing 31 million people to obtain health insurance, while the Urban Institute said that as many as 20 million could lose their coverage if the ACA were overturned.

ACA defenders had expressed concern that the three justices added to the Supreme Court by fierce ObamaCare critic Donald Trump during his 2017-2021 tenure would unite with conservatives named to the tribunal by previous presidents to find the law unconstitutional.

But when this latest case came before the court, only one of Trump’s picks, Neil Gorsuch, joined Justice Samuel Alito in voting to confirm the appellate decision.

Trump’s other nominees, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, sided with Chief Justice John Roberts, Clarence Thomas and Democratic appointees Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan in overturning the appeals court ruling.

Writing for the majority, Breyer said that Texas and the other plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the suit, having failed to show “that the injury they will suffer or have suffered” can be attributed to the ACA.

ObamaCare barred insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, allowed parents to keep children on their policies up to the age of 26, expanded Medicaid – the federal health-care program for the poor – and created subsidies to help with the cost of premiums.

The plan’s most controversial provision, the individual mandate requiring people to purchase health insurance or face a penalty, was effectively eliminated in 2017 as part of the Trump administration’s tax cuts.

The ACA has gained in popularity, according to polls by the Kaiser Family Foundation showing support for ObamaCare growing from 41 percent in 2015 to 53 percent in 2021.

Biden hailed Thursday’s Supreme Court decision as a “victory for more than 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and millions more who were in immediate danger of losing their health care in the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic.”

The ruling was also welcomed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, who played an important role in getting the ACA through Congress more than a decade ago.

The California Democrat called ObamaCare a “pillar of American health and economic security.” EFE

afs/drWashington, Jun 17 (EFE).- The Supreme Court of the United States overturned on Thursday a federal appellate ruling striking down the health-care reform that was the signature domestic policy of Democrat Barack Obama’s 2009-2017 presidency.

By a vote of 7-2, the court threw out a decision that found in favor of a lawsuit brought by Texas and 16 other Republican-led states against the 2010 Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as ObamaCare.

This marks the third time the nation’s highest court has upheld the constitutionality of the ACA.

The administration of President Joe Biden – who was Obama’s vice president – credits the legislation with allowing 31 million people to obtain health insurance, while the Urban Institute said that as many as 20 million could lose their coverage if the ACA were overturned.

ACA defenders had expressed concern that the three justices added to the Supreme Court by fierce ObamaCare critic Donald Trump during his 2017-2021 tenure would unite with conservatives named to the tribunal by previous presidents to find the law unconstitutional.

But when this latest case came before the court, only one of Trump’s picks, Neil Gorsuch, joined Justice Samuel Alito in voting to confirm the appellate decision.