The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has ruled that the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s individual mandate is unconstitutional.
The court stopped short of stating that the entire law is invalid and decided to send the case back to a lower court judge to reconsider the future of the ACA. Delaware Healthcare Association CEO Wayne Smith issued the following statement in response to the ruling:
“Millions of Americans and thousands of Delawareans have health coverage as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As a result, the uninsured population in Delaware has been reduced by nearly half. Unfortunately, this tremendous progress has been thrown into jeopardy as a result of recent court decisions, including the ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to refer the case that could decide the future of the ACA back to the court that previously invalidated the entire law.
While uncertainty about the ACA’s future remains, the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land. Delawareans should also take comfort in knowing that our State Legislature has taken important steps to write key consumer protection provisions of the ACA – including SB 35 by Senator Trey Paradee and Representative Bill Bush to prohibit denials based on pre-existing conditions – into Delaware law. The Delaware Healthcare Association will continue to work to protect patient access to health coverage as we work to make every Delawarean as healthy as they can be.”
The Delaware Healthcare Association (DHA) was formed in 1967 to assist Delaware hospitals in working on issues concerning health care and the hospital industry.
