Santa Clara Co. Files ACA Legal Defense With Large Coalition

SAN JOSE, CA -- Fearing U.S. health insurance could be on life support with recent attacks, a coalition of 35 counties and cities led by Santa Clara County and the California State Association of Counties has filed a legal brief in the Fifth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals in defense of the Affordable Care Act.

The 2010 law overhauled the U.S. health insurance system, providing coverage to millions of Americans. Its primary talking point is mandated coverage for those with preexisting conditions.

The landmark law referred to as Obamacare named after the former president has undergone a series of attacks mainly by a Republican-led Congress that pledged to replace it with the party's own version of universal health care. Absent of another plan, the risk of loss of coverage sparked massive protests in the streets last year.

Also in 2018, a U.S. District Court judge in Texas declared the ACA unconstitutional. As recent as last week, the Trump administration unexpectedly argued over the complete invalidation of the law, marking a major shift in the Justice Department’s stance on the health care system.

Of the jurisdictions joining the amicus brief, 14 come from states currently suing to overturn the ACA, including: Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

“The Trump administration’s attempt to force millions of Americans off the health insurance rolls would harm our residents, our communities and our health systems. Judicial invalidation of the ACA would wreak havoc on our ability to provide vital services to our residents. That’s why we’re leading other jurisdictions in highlighting the value of the ACA to local governments and fighting for health care coverage for our residents," Santa Clara County Counsel James R. Williams said.

If the district court’s decision is upheld, many Americans would actually be worse off than they were before the passage of the ACA because states, counties, and municipalities have changed the way they budget and provide services, Williams pointed out.

The county's legal counsel did not stand alone.

"The county of Santa Clara has long prided itself on the quality of our public services for all of our residents,” Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said. “The ACA has made those services measurably better—and a reversal of the law would unravel dramatic improvements in the lives of our residents."

Cities and towns joining the brief are as follows:

• Berkeley, California
• Oakland, California
• Los Angeles, California
• San Francisco, California
• Boulder, Colorado
• Chicago, Illinois
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Lawrence, Massachusetts
• Northampton, Massachusetts
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• New York (and NYC Health + Hospitals), New York
• Carrboro, North Carolina
• Columbus, Ohio
• Portland, Oregon
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Houston, Texas
• Seattle, Washington
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Alexandria, Virginia

Counties signing on to the brief alongside Santa Clara County and the state association for counties are as follows:

• Pulaski County, Arkansas
• Los Angeles County, California
• Broward County, Florida
• Orange County, Florida
• Monroe County, Indiana
• Holmes County, Mississippi
• Jefferson County, Mississippi
• Santa Fe County, New Mexico
• Shelby County, Tennessee
• Bexar County, Texas
• Cameron County, Texas
• El Paso County, Texas
• Travis County, Texas
• King County, Washington
• Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

Click the Link to Court Filing.