Supreme Court Upholds “Obamacare”

According to multiple reports, the Supreme Court upheld “Obamacare” in a 5-4 vote on Thursday morning.

Somewhat surprisingly, Chief Justice John Roberts joined with Elena Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor to form the five-vote majority. Typically, Roberts is aligned with the more conservative justices, with Anthony Kennedy serving as the swing vote for the more liberal justices.

However, the two flip-flopped on this vote. The four voting against were Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

For up to date coverage of the decision and its ramifications, check out the SCOTUSblog sponsored by Bloomberg Law. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative James Langevin have also released statements, which follow, and you can vote in our poll on the decision at the bottom of this article. (Update 1:40 p.m. - We've also added a statement from Senator Jack Reed.)

-----

Whitehouse (D-RI) released the statement below regarding today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the Affordable Care Act:

“For the many Rhode Islanders I've heard from who are counting on the reforms in the Affordable Care Act to help them gain access to vital health services, the Supreme Court today sent a clear message that those reforms will go forward.  By upholding the law, the Court validated the principle that all Americans should have access to health care.  Seniors will continue receiving discounts on prescription drugs, children can continue to stay on their parents’ health insurance policy after college, and individuals suffering from chronic illness won’t need to worry about running into lifetime caps.   

“Now that these Constitutional questions are behind us, I look forward to working with the Administration to continue implementing the many important provisions of the health care law that will lower costs and improve care for years to come.”

-----

Langevin (D-RI) released the following statement in reaction to today’s Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act

“Today’s Supreme Court decision affirms the efforts of so many who have fought hard to ensure all Americans have access to a doctor when they’re sick, control rising health costs and adapt our system of care to focus on early detection and prevention.

“One of the driving motivations behind my running for Congress in the first place was the belief that everyone should have access to the same high quality care that has allowed me to overcome signficant health challenges in my life. This ruling represents an important victory for tens of millions of Americans without insurance, millions more struggling to afford it, and for our economy, which cannot continue to withstand the costs of our current system’s inefficiencies.

“It is a victory for individuals with pre-existing conditions, who, under the Affordable Care Act, can no longer be denied coverage; for those with chronic illness who can stop worrying about yearly and lifetime coverage limits; for young people who can still remain under parents’ insurance until age 26; for seniors who are already experiencing prescription savings from our closing the donut hole; and for our Medicare system, which will see costs reduced by $500 million by rewarding quality of care instead of quantity.

“I also continue to take pride in the health insurance exchanges that will force insurance companies to offer coverage in a competitive and transparent way, and in the medical-loss ratio mandating that insurers spend 85 percent of premiums on health care, rather than CEO salaries, profits for shareholders and advertisements.

“Moving forward, I remain dedicated to ensuring that the Affordable Care Act is implemented fairly, correctly and responsibly, and to continuing my long-standing commitment to providing everyone with quality, affordable health care.”

-----

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the landmark health insurance reform law known as the Affordable Care Act:

“Today’s decision is good news for all Americans.  In upholding the law, the Supreme Court acted not only in accordance with the Constitution, but in the best interests of the nation and our economic future. 

“For too long, health insurance companies got away with increasing premiums and decreasing coverage, which resulted in higher costs and unfair practices. 

“Health reform is long overdue.  Nearly two decades ago, former Republican Senator John H. Chafee pointed out that a private health insurance market works best when everyone is in the insurance market.  And during the debate in 2009, top Republicans in Congress were still saying “there is a bipartisan consensus to have an individual mandate.”

“Today’s ruling moves us closer to providing more Americans with access to affordable coverage.  Everyone should be responsible when it comes to health care, and, under this law, everyone -- from individuals to small business -- will be eligible for important new health insurance benefits, protections, and choices.

“The law doesn’t fully kick in until 2014.  Now that the Court has spoken, I hope opponents of the law end their losing, partisan battle against the Affordable Care Act and join us in creating jobs, improving our economy, and fixing our broken health care system.

“So far Rhode Island received over $145 million in Affordable Care Act funds to upgrade our health infrastructure, invest in new technologies, and ease the burden of retiree health insurance costs.  The law is already providing Rhode Islanders with new benefits, like preventive care with no out-of-pocket costs, allowing young adults to remain on their parents’ insurance, and tax credits to help small businesses offer coverage to their employees.

“With the aid of nearly $65 million in Affordable Care Act funds, Rhode Island has also taken steps to create new, competitive exchanges where the uninsured and small businesses can buy more affordable insurance starting in 2014.  The state’s exchange should help consumers find better health coverage options at a price they can afford.  Additionally, over 15,000 Rhode Island seniors have already saved nearly $14 million on their prescription drug costs since 2011, and $4.5 million has helped Rhode Island businesses develop new, cost-effective medical therapies.

“I hope Rhode Island and our nation can continue working to build a better health care system based on quality, affordability, and personal responsibility.”