Eric Galatas, Public News Service
“The U-S Supreme Court will hear King versus Burwell today, a case that challenges whether the federal government can provide financial assistance for health insurance across the nation, or only in states that have set up health exchanges. Advocates for the current law say more than nine-million Americans could lose health insurance coverage if the Court sides with the plaintiffs.
Adam Fox with the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative says the Affordable Care Act is working – more than 10 million people nationwide now have health coverage who did not have it before. He says more than half of those who got insurance through Colorado’s health exchange qualified for financial assistance.
“There are a lot of people that find the cost of health insurance out of their reach, and these financial assistance subsidies that exist really make sure that everybody has at least some access to basic health coverage.”
The plaintiffs in the case say the court shouldn’t base its decision on possible negative outcomes, but only on the written text of the law. Hart adds key votes on the court, like Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kennedy, have taken the effects of the court’s actions into account in the past, and that could make a big difference in the outcome of this case.
The outcome of a case being heard today at the U-S Supreme Court could have a big impact on health care in Colorado.”
Read the full article here.