Live updates: King v. Burwell arguments held in U.S. Supreme Court
Healthcare leaders and millions of customers insured by federal exchanges will be watching Washington closely on Wednesday.
Twitter photo via igorvolsky.
Healthcare leaders and millions of customers insured by federal exchanges will be watching Washington closely on Wednesday as oral arguments take place on King v. Burwell. The case, while not technically targeting the entire legality of Obamacare, could ultimately dismanly a key provision of the law that gives tax breaks to patients who bought insurance on Healthcare.gov. The issue targets one sentance in the law that claims insurance should be purchased on exchanges run by states.
The IRS has said the law is meant for the subsidies to be available nationwide, not just in the states that established their own exchanges.
Live blog starts below
A decision for the plaintiffs could cripple the Affordable Care Act since those enrolled through the federal exchange would lose their tax credits and many would join the ranks of the uninsured while a ruling for defendant HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell would keep intact the ACA.
Meanwhile, Republicans are pushing a plan to replace about $25 billion of Obamacare subsidies.
In a direct appeal to the Justices, five Republican senators have recently published three op-eds presenting healthcare options, according to The Hill.
Five of the nine Justice, including Chief Justice John Roberts, were appointed by Republican presidents and four by Democrats.
In the last major challenge to the ACA in 2012, Chief Justice Roberts cast the deciding vote in a divided court on a constitutional challenge to the federal healthcare law. The decision allowed Congress to impose an individual insurance mandate, with penalties for those who opted not to be covered.
Follow our live blog below for updates throughout the day. The testimonies begin at 10 a.m., but the discussion will likely run much longer. The Justices are expected to rule in June.
With Susan Morse
