Health Reform Laws Reviewed by Supreme Court
November 15, 2011
As expected, on November 14, 2011, the United States Supreme Court announced that it will hear arguments relating to various constitutional challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). A decision will be issued before its term ends in June 2012, in the middle of a Presidential election year.
The Court has agreed to review four questions that were raised in various lower court challenges to the PPACA:
As expected, on November 14, 2011, the United States Supreme Court announced that it will hear arguments relating to various constitutional challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). A decision will be issued before its term ends in June 2012, in the middle of a Presidential election year.
The Court has agreed to review four questions that were raised in various lower court challenges to the PPACA:
- Individual Mandate: Did Congress exceed its authority under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution in requiring that individuals maintain “minimum essential coverage” beginning in 2014, or pay a tax assessment?
- Severability: If the individual mandate provision is nullified as unconstitutional, is it “severable” from the rest of the legislation, or will some or all or the other PPACA provisions also be nullified?
- Anti-injunction Act: Are private individuals and states procedurally barred from challenging the constitutionality of the individual mandate by the Anti-Injunction Act, which prohibits legal challenges to taxes until after the tax is collected?
- Medicaid: Did Congress exceed its constitutional authority in expanding the Medicaid program?
- National Federation of Independent Business, et al., v. Sebelius
- U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, et al., v. Florida, et al.
- Florida, et al., v. HHS
- Thomas More Law Center v. Obama
- Liberty University, et al., v. Geithner, et al.
