Ruling preserves health care for as many as eight million Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Supreme Court on June 25 made a monumental decision on a challenge to the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). In a 6-3 ruling, the Court dismissed the contention that providing subsidies to low-income persons to purchase health care through the ACA was not proper due to lack of specific authorization in the wording of the law.
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) applauds that decision. Had the Supreme Court ruled otherwise, it was estimated that as many as eight million people would have become uninsured. Not only has the Court’s eliminated this particular test of the legitimacy of ACA, legal experts suggest that the wording of the majority opinion will make it far more difficult for future attempts to legally challenge ACA through the U.S. Supreme Court.
This was a major victory for those who advocate providing health care access for all Americans. The ACA has evolved into a significant and effective safety net program for low-income citizens in many states. NASW joins many other healthcare advocates across the nation in a collective sigh of relief that the Supreme Court has upheld one of the key provisions of the ACA permitting it to remain a viable program for access to healthcare coverage in the U.S.
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The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 130,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.