A Decision On The Future Of The Health Law Is Poised To Drop Soon. This Is What’s On The Line.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals could deem the health law unconstitutional in its ruling in Texas v. Azar, a decision that could come as early as this month. Although the Affordable Care Act will remain the law of the land for a while no matter what the court decides, it could throw some things -- like enrollment numbers -- into flux. Meanwhile, a new study shows the impact the health law has had on patients with diabetes.
A decision in the latest court case to threaten the future of the Affordable Care Act could come as soon as this month. The ruling will come from the panel of judges in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard oral arguments in the Texas v. Azar lawsuit. An estimated 24 million people get their health coverage through programs created under the law, which has faced countless court challenges since it passed. (Simmons-Duffin, 10/12)
The long-term complications from uncontrolled diabetes include the increased risk of a heart attack or stroke, nerve damage that causes tingling or numbness, kidney failure, blindness, and losing toes and feet to amputation. Yet an estimated 17% of adults under the age of 65 who had diabetes were without health insurance before the expansion of coverage through the Affordable Care Act, according to a recent study by Rebecca Myerson, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and colleagues at the University of Southern California. (Boulton, 10/11)
Other health law news comes out of Colorado and Arizona, as well 鈥
Colorado鈥檚 Democratic leadership isn鈥檛 waiting for the rest of the country to sort out where it stands on health care; it鈥檚 forging ahead with an idea to build on the Affordable Care Act at the state level. This week, two state agencies in Colorado unveiled a plan that would establish a 鈥減ublic option鈥 鈥 of sorts 鈥 for health care in the state. The plan creates a 鈥渟tate option,鈥 a health insurance plan designed by the state that would be made available to all Colorado residents who buy their own individual health insurance. (Golshan, 10/11)
The Affordable Care Act remains a聽political hot button, but health insurance companies are聽happy enough with the law that they're expanding Obamacare offerings to聽Arizonans in 2020. In Maricopa County, Obamacare choices are聽expected to be plentiful: five companies confirmed with The Arizona Republic that they will be selling marketplace plans for 2020 coverage, an increase from four this year. (Innes, 10/10)
