POLL: Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Law

Reporting/Writing by Bryan McGonigle, Dan Libon, Jeffrey Pickette and Mary Ann Barton: 

The Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision Thursday morning to uphold the Affordable Care Act, other wise known as "Obamacare," declaring its individual mandate to be constitutional.

The argument against the constitutionality of the individual mandate had been that it violated states' rights, but proponents cited the Constitution's commerce clause as justification. However the court seems to have found a way around the argument, ruling that the mandate was constitutional anyway under Congress's ability to tax.

In other words, the government can't force you to buy insurance, but Congress can tax you if you don't.

"The individual mandate cannot be upheld as an exercise of Congress's power under the Commerce Clause," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the Court's opinion.

"That Clause authorizes Congress to regulate interstate commerce, not to order individuals to engage in it. In this case, however, it is reasonable to construe what Congress has done as increasing taxes on those who have a certain amount of income, but choose to go without health insurance. Such legislation is within Congress's power to tax."

Voting in favor of the bill were Chief Justice Roberts, Stephen G. Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito were the desenting votes. 

The law requires all Americans to buy health insurance by 2014. Those who do not buy insurance will pay a penalty in 2015, but NBC reports there is no punishment for not paying these penalties. 

The Court also ruled that Congress cannot penalize states choosing to opt out of the expansion of Medicare. 

The Affordable Care Act has been a political lightning rod since it was passed in March 2010 by Democrats along party lines with virtually no Republican support.

Supporters of the law have insisted that it would provide coverage to millions of Americans who could not find or afford coverage before, lower health care costs in the long run and prohibit insurance companies from refusing to cover sick people.

Opponents have insisted that the law is a massive government overreach that will further balloon the nation's deficit without bringing health care costs down and will cost the nation millions of jobs as the new regulations strangle businesses.

While many may support individual provisions of the law, about 56 percent of Americans say they oppose "Obamacare," according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released over the weekend.