This morning, the United States Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) premium tax credits available in all states. As he did in the Court’s previous decision on the ACA in 2012, Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion. This decision reaffirms the legality of a key component of the law: subsidies offered to consumers to purchase affordable coverage through federally-run insurance marketplaces. While this decision does not impact California’s insurance marketplace, Covered California, millions of people in 34 states across the country, many from communities of color, can now rest easier knowing the health care coverage they have relied upon over the last 18 months will continue.
CPEHN applauds this important victory for the millions of hard-working Americans whose lives have been improved by the ACA. Now that the ACA remains law of the land, it is time to continue the critical work forward in ensuring that affordable, quality coverage is available for everyone. There will be challenges ahead, and we will likely see attempts to cut funding to Medicaid and our safety net. We will be counting on your support as we look to future victories that improve access to care.