After two years of vigorous debate, and hours of arguments
before multiple courts, the Supreme Court has decided in a 5 to 4
decision that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of
2010, commonly known as the Healthcare Reform Act, is
constitutional.
The Supreme Court has determined that the individual mandate
requiring the purchase of insurance or the payment of a penalty to
the government through individual tax returns, is within
Congress' constitutional power to levy taxes. The Supreme
Court also upheld Congress' power to expand Medicaid
eligibility to all individuals with an income less than 133% of the
federal poverty level, but refused to allow the threat of loss of
existing Medicaid funding to states that decline to comply with the
expansion. With that limitation, this means that the
Healthcare Reform Act will continue in its current form and will
continue to be implemented until or unless Congress and the
President take further action.
The Supreme Court's decision and the potential changes
forthcoming in the redesign of the delivery and payment of
healthcare will impact both providers and payers. Morris, Manning
& Martin will provide a full and detailed analysis of the
decision to assist its clients in navigating the potential impact
of the changes driven by the now deemed constitutional Healthcare
Reform Act.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.