Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
How The Liberal Justices Steered The Supreme Court In Its Recent Health Law Decision
The stunning series of liberal decisions delivered by the Supreme Court this term was the product of discipline on the left side of the court and disarray on the right. In case after case, including blockbusters on same-sex marriage and President Obama鈥檚 health care law, the court鈥檚 four-member liberal wing, all appointed by Democratic presidents, managed to pick off one or more votes from the court鈥檚 five conservative justices, all appointed by Republicans. ... For example, in King v. Burwell, the case brought by groups hostile to the Affordable Care Act, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy joined the court鈥檚 four liberals in rejecting the challenge to health insurance subsidies provided through federal exchanges. Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissented. (Liptak, 7/1)
The Supreme Court in the just-completed term passed up a number of opportunities to upend existing law, including the Affordable Care Act. ... The court鈥檚 hesitation to strike down existing laws was evident in several cases. ... Justice Kennedy鈥檚 votes with the court鈥檚 liberals are a major factor in their success. But another conservative justice, Chief Justice Roberts, wrote the majority opinion rejecting a conservative-backed lawsuit that would have gutted the Affordable Care Act. He was joined by the liberal bloc and Justice Kennedy. (Braven, 6/30)
The Supreme Court was no less polarized this term, nor were its opinions any less divided. But its landmark decisions saving the Affordable Care Act and declaring that the Constitution provides a right for same-sex couples to marry create nationwide norms for an increasingly divided country. (Barnes, 6/30)
And here's a breakdown of how the ruling聽will play out in Florida -
Now that the ruling has been made, it鈥檚 important for Floridians to understand what it means for them. One of the predictions was that after taking advantage of the insurance subsidies to buy coverage, over 1 million Floridians would owe thousands of dollars to the IRS at tax time. With the subsidies upheld, this is an obstacle averted for 1.3 million Floridians who would have collectively owed more than $4 billion for the 2015 tax year. (Naff, 7/1)
