Word From Washington: HFA Monitoring ACA Case

HFA continues to monitor the Texas v. United States case, in which a U.S. district court declared that the entire Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional by virtue of Congress’s 2017 repeal of the ACA’s individual mandate tax penalty. The district court ruling has been appealed by California and 19 other states, along with the U.S. House of Representatives (the U.S. Department of Justice, by contrast, asserts that the district court ruling is correct).
HFA has joined with other patient groups urging the appeals court to uphold the constitutionality of the ACA. The patient groups filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in April arguing the law was intended to help protect patients with pre-existing conditions. On July 9^th, the appeals court heard oral arguments in the case. Ahead of yesterday’s oral argument, the patient groups issued a statement on the case, urging the court to prioritize patient protections, including those for people with pre-existing conditions. You can read the patient groups’ full statement here.
It is too early to predict when or how the court will rule. HFA will continue to keep member organizations and community members informed of updates via our breaking news, Word from Washington, as well as provide an update in our monthly round-up, Washington Wire.