The future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) aka Obamacare, the nation’s current healthcare plan signed into law under President Barack Obama, has been hanging in the balance since Obama exited the White House and President Donald Trump entered. Now,…
The future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) aka Obamacare, the nation’s current healthcare plan signed into law under President Barack Obama, has been hanging in the balance since Obama exited the White House and President Donald Trump entered. Now, there’s a new chapter in the healthcare saga because on Friday, Dec. 14, a Texas judge struck the entirety of the ACA down, according to The New York Times. In light of this news, you might be wondering what the Obamacare ruling means for you and your healthcare coverage.
Under Obama, the ACA laid out a tax penalty for those who failed to purchase insurance, based on the idea that Congress had taxing power. However, back in June, 20 states lead by Texas, with the backing of the White House, filed a lawsuit claiming that the individual mandate of the ACA is unconstitutional because the government can’t force people to buy health insurance, according to The New York Times. Cut to Dec. 14, and Judge Reed O’Connor of the Federal District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, ruled in favor of the states agreeing that the ACA individual mandate is unconstitutional and therefore every other part of the ACA is no longer valid, according to The New York Times.
