Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act upheld by US Supreme Court

In a landmark 5 to 4 decision, the US Supreme Court upheld the majority of President Obama’s signature health-care reform legislation, which was signed into law in March 2010. In the ruling delivered Thursday morning, the Supreme Court upheld the central and most controversial element of the law, the minimum coverage provision, popularly known as the “individual mandate.” It was ruled that the federal government may use its taxation authority to impose penalties on those who do not purchase insurance meeting minimum federal standards. Another less-discussed provision of the health-care reform law, the expansion of the Medicaid program, was also upheld. However, the federal government is limited in the penalty amount they can impose on states that choose not to expand their Medicaid program.

Read full details of the decision, visit Supreme Court website.

Stay tuned for commentary from Sleep Diagnosis and Therapy on how the health-care reform law will affect Sleep Medicine.

The Affordable Care Act Became Law in March 23, 2010

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. The law put in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that will roll out over four years and beyond, with most changes taking place by 2014.

Use this timeline to learn about what’s changing and when at Healthcare.gov