Supreme Court Upholds the Affordable Care Act
ACA (Obamacare) Is Still in Effect and the Law of the Land
Today the Supreme Court released its ruling in the health care repeal lawsuit California v. Texas, pushed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in an attempt to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) with no replacement. The court threw out the case, ruling that Texas and other plaintiffs lacked standing to sue. The ACA remains intact and in effect.
Every Texan welcomes this ruling, which protects health insurance coverage for the 1.3 million Texans who get their insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace and countless others who benefit from the ACA’s consumer protections.
“In the middle of a pandemic, our own Texas Attorney General led this lawsuit to take health coverage away from Texans,” said Marisa Bono, CEO of Every Texan. “It’s appalling. Fortunately, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the Affordable Care Act as the law of the land, and the ruling is a victory for the people of Texas.”
1.3 million Texans signed up for 2021 coverage through the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace, and 9 in 10 of them get financial help to make their premiums affordable. The Marketplace re-opened for a COVID-related special enrollment period on February 15, 2021, and since then, an additional 239,000 Texans have signed up for Marketplace coverage. Currently more than 30 million Americans have health coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
The stakes in this lawsuit were high for Texas and our health care system. If the Supreme Court had struck down the Affordable Care Act, many Texans would have lost their health care coverage and people with pre-existing conditions — like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and asthma — would have lost the guarantee that they could not be denied coverage or charged more.
This lawsuit to take away coverage with no replacement stood in stark contrast with what Texans want. Poll after poll shows Texans want lawmakers to maintain pre-existing condition protections and expand access to health coverage, not take health care away. This decision reaffirms that the Affordable Care Act also bolsters the case for drawing down billions in federal funds to expand health coverage in Texas.
“Enough is enough,” said Bono. “The ACA has been the law of the land for more than a decade despite this partisan lawsuit and others. Texans overwhelmingly want to protect people with pre-existing conditions and to expand Medicaid. It’s time for Texas leaders to start listening to Texans instead of trying to take away our health care.”
Despite Texas having both the largest number and percentage of uninsured people of any state, the Texas Legislature just adjourned without taking steps to cover the uninsured. Texans who are fed up with legislative inaction and the worst uninsured rate in the country have launched the #SickOfItTX campaign to press state leaders to expand health coverage.
Many Texans do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid and either aren’t offered health insurance at work or can’t afford what is offered. The ACA’s Health Insurance Marketplace provides critical access to comprehensive and affordable health insurance for these Texans.
The Marketplace remains open for enrollment through August 15, 2021. Free in-person enrollment assistance is available in communities across the state. You can find local enrollment assistance contacts here.