Supreme Court to Hear Healthcare Reform Law
November 17, 2011 – On Monday, the Supreme Court announced it will hear the case that originated in Florida, in which 26 states are suing the federal government challenging the individual provision of the Affordable Healthcare Act, (ACA) which mandates that nearly everyone must have health insurance by 2014, or else face a tax penalty on their income taxes.
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The Supreme Court stated it would hear oral arguments on the following three specific questions raised in the federal circuit court decisions that split on the legality of the individual mandate.Â
- NFIB vs. Sebelius: “… whether the ACA must be invalidated in its entirety because it is nonseverable from the individual mandate.
- Florida v. Health & Human Services Question 3: “Does the Affordable Care Act‘s mandate that virtually every individual obtain health insurance exceed Congress‘s enumerated powers and, if so, to what extent (if any) can the mandate be severed from the remainder of the Act?â€
- Health & Human Services v. Florida: “Whether Congress had the power under Article I of the Constitution to enact the minimum coverage provision.â€
The Supreme Court will also review questions related to a federal effort to compel states to expand their Medicaid programs.
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It is believed that the case will be heard sometime in March 2012 and published by June.
Tags: Healthcare Reform
