What Now? Health Reform in the Aftermath of the S. Ct. Decision Jaime S. King, JD, PhD UCSF/UC Hastings Consortium on Law, Science and Health Policy June 29, 2012
Two Major Holdings Individual Mandate upheld 4 Justices upheld it via the Commerce Clause (Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan, and Breyer) Chief Justice Roberts upheld it as a tax. Medicaid Expansion Federal government may incentivize the expansion Roberts, Kagan, Breyer, Ginsburg, Sotomayor But, the Federal Government cannot withdraw all Medicaid funds for failure to expand Roberts, Kagan, Breyer, Scalia, Alito, Kennedy, Thomas
Major Elements of the ACA Upheld Individual Mandate Employer Mandate/Play or Pay Premium and Cost Sharing Subsidies Medicaid Expansion (limited) Health Insurance Exchanges No Preexisting Condition Exclusion Community Rating Dependents can stay on insurance until age 26 Payment Changes in Medicare
Health Law and Policy Initial Implications 2014 – Nearly all individuals will have to purchase health insurance or pay a tax. Medicaid Expansion – Opt In State Exchanges – Back on Track Future Litigation/Repeal Efforts
No “Broccoli Horrible”
Mandate vs. Tax
Medicaid Expansion – Opt In Prior Medicaid Eligibility Disabled Blind Families with Children Elderly ACA All individuals with incomes under 133% of the Federal Poverty Level ACA Following S. Ct. Ruling 133% only if state decides to expand
What will the States do?
Medicaid/Tax Credit Ineligible? $15,000 Total Income for 2 $90,000 Total Income for 4
Exempt from the Individual Mandate, but No Subsidy? 100% FPL
Strategies to Undermine the Health Law Repeal and Replace Entire Bill Repeal Portions of the Bill Litigate HHS Regulations Limit Appropriations
Difficult to Repeal and Replace All of it….
Strategies to Undermine the Health Law Repeal and Replace Entire Bill Repeal Portions of the Bill Litigate HHS Regulations Limit Appropriations
Intersection of Law, Science and Health Policy