Disability Advocates Praise Recent Supreme Court Ruling on Obamacare

The Supreme Court recently refused to hear a case against the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is also known as Obamacare. Why? They declined to hear the case because it lacked standing. Regardless, many healthcare advocates, including those who support people living with disabilities, consider it a huge win. To that end, Direct Care Innovations shares why people are happy about the recent Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare and why it matters.

The Argument Against the Affordable Care Act

Texas led 18 states and two individuals to argue that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. One of the arguments stated that the act forces some to use state-sponsored healthcare paid for by taxpayers. Additionally, they pinpoint the penalty provision. Specifically, the original act penalized people who didn't have healthcare coverage. However, that provision was removed as part of a 2017 GOP package.

The recent Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare states that it won't even hear the case because it lacks standing. What does this mean? The court opinion says, "A plaintiff has standing only if he can ‘allege personal injury fairly traceable to the defendant’s allegedly unlawful conduct and likely to be redressed by the requested relief '”  The opinion goes on to say that there is no way to enforce the penalty. Thus, the court won't hear the case because no harm occurs without monetary penalties.

U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Obamacare Pleases Advocates

The recent lawsuit marks the third attempt to ask the court to rule the 2012 legislation as unconstitutional. Previously, the court ruled the legislation legitimate under the U.S. Congress's taxing authority. However, understand that the court has largely kept its distance from whether or not the law is constitutional. Still, all attempts to challenge the wide-sweeping legislation remain unsuccessful, and this pleases healthcare advocates. Those who advocate for those living with disabilities say they support the recent ruling. Why? Advocates argue that the legislation uniquely benefits those with disabilities in several ways, by:

• Expanding access to healthcare.
• Eliminating pre-existing conditions and lifetime limits.
• Improving access to home healthcare.
• Dismantling healthcare discrimination.

ACA Supports Independence and Community Living

The closure of mental hospitals and institutions decades ago resulted in thousands of individuals going back into communities. Those living with disabilities deserve a place in the community, the dignity of their humanity, and the right to live independently alongside other community members. Many services exist to support these individuals, and many of the services rely upon the ACA to ensure sustainability, quality care, and protection against discrimination. Moreover, home healthcare is an important component, which is supported through ACA and other initiatives. This marks the third instance of the Supreme Court ruling supporting the ACA. Hopefully, managed care networks, home healthcare providers, Medicaid and medicare agencies, and others can breathe a sigh of relief for the time being.

At DCI, we support caregivers and networks in all 50 U.S. states by providing business management tools and software solutions to streamline processes and achieve EVV compliance. We provide software solutions that take the hassle out of administration and integrate workflows to make life easier. Call us at (480) 295-3307 or schedule a free demo to learn more.