Stability or calm before next fight?

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on that the subsidies offered as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be available nationwide, regardless of whether they are used to buy health insurance on an exchange established by the federal government or an individual state.

The decision marks the second time the Supreme Court has ruled in support of a major plank of the ACA, the Obama administration’s signature healthcare reform. In 2012, the court ruled that the law’s individual mandate to purchase insurance was constitutional.

This time, the issue revolved around language in the law involving the granting of subsidies to help poor and middle-class individuals purchase insurance coverage. A number of states created their own insurance exchanges, but 34 states are relying on a federal marketplace to facilitate coverage.

Organizations already are saying the decision returns some stability to the ACA and healthcare. Given the contentious nature of everything surrounding the ACA, I wouldn't be surprised if there is yet another attempt to dismantle the law in our future.

Beth Walsh

Clinical Innovation + Technology editor