(Salem) – The United States Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act (ACA) today in its decision in the case of California v. Texas, No. 19-840.
The case centered on the validity of the ACA. Eighteen states, led by Texas, sought to have the entire ACA struck down. Another 21 states, led by California and joined by Oregon, defended the ACA.
The decision marks the third such decision since the inception of the Affordable Care Act, including the 2012 case of National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (567 U.S. 519) and the 2015 case of King v. Burwell (576 U.S. 473). The third Supreme Court decision marks a huge victory for the ACA, allowing people throughout the United States access to health coverage and financial assistance through the Marketplace.
“This Supreme Court decision today is a huge victory for the more than 500,000 Oregonians who gained coverage through the ACA, regardless of health history or medical status,” said Gov. Kate Brown. “Today’s decision also protects all Oregonians with health care coverage, maintaining protections for pre-existing conditions, preventing lifetime caps and annual limits on health coverage, and allowing young adults to stay covered by their parents’ plan. We still have a lot of work to do to ensure everyone access to quality, affordable health care, but this is an important step.”
The Affordable Care Act, passed in March 2010, prohibits health insurance companies from denying coverage to enrollees who have pre-existing health conditions. The law sets parameters on how health insurance companies calculate premiums. In addition, the ACA allows eligible enrollees to tap into financial assistance for both monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs, making health coverage more affordable for millions of Americans. More than eight in 10 Oregonians would have lost financial assistance if the ACA was deemed invalid, and thousands would have lost coverage altogether.
“Oregon has embraced the Affordable Care Act since the beginning, and will continue to strive to get all Oregonians covered in quality health coverage,” said Oregon Insurance Commissioner Andrew Stolfi. “The ACA helps put that goal within reach by providing quality coverage to thousands of Oregonians.”
Oregonians have access to expanded financial assistance thanks to the ACA and the American Rescue Plan, and are able to enroll in health coverage through Aug. 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find out what coverage and savings are available to you by visiting OregonHealthCare.gov/WindowShop. Free local help is available from coverage experts throughout Oregon. You can find local help at OregonHealthCare.gov.
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The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, a part of state government, helps people get health insurance when they do not have job-based coverage, and do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan or another program. The Marketplace is the state-level partner to HealthCare.gov, and a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). For more information, go to OregonHealthCare.gov.