NRHA monitors ACA case
Today, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in King v. Burwell. The question before the court was whether subsidies for the purchase of health insurance on an insurance exchange can be legally provided to people in the states that have not established state exchanges, relying instead on the federal health insurance marketplace. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) stipulates that subsidies are only available for exchanges “established by the state.” President Obama and HHS Secretary Burwell have expressed confidence the court will rule in favor of the government and find that subsides are permissible in both state and federally established exchanges. Republican members of Congress have proposed multiple contingency plans. As many rural Americans live in states using the federal exchange, the National Rural Health Association will continue to monitor this case and its potential effects on rural health care. The justices will meet to discuss the case privately Friday, though a decision is not expected until June.