It has been said that the Supreme Court could reveal its decisions about the Affordable Care Act, (ACA) this week. Representative Lois Capps is concerned about how the decision will affect the people she represents. A reversal of the ACA would negatively affect many Americans.
There are several potential ways that the Supreme Court could go in its decision regarding the Affordable Care Act. It could uphold the entire ACA, exactly as it stands. It could declare the entire ACA unconstitutional. It could “cherry pick” the ACA by declaring only certain parts to be unconstitutional.
Representative Lois Capps, a Democrat who is the Congressional representative for California’s twenty-third district, is concerned. There are several negative consequences that could happen if the Supreme Court declares the entire ACA to be unconstitutional, or, if the Supreme Court declares parts of it to be unconstitutional. Either way, there will be confusion.
There is also the potential for several, (or all), of the protections that Americans are currently enjoying in regard to their health insurance coverage to completely disappear if all or part of the ACA is reversed. If that happens, here are a few of the things that your family could lose:
Young adults who are between the ages of 18 and 26 are able to find health insurance coverage through their parent’s health plans. Without the ACA, young adults will go back to being the largest group of uninsured adults in the United States.
The medical loss ratio requires insurers to spend at least 80% of the money they get from their customer’s health insurance premiums on things that can improve the health of their customers. Without the ACA, insurers would be able to go back to spending the majority of the money that comes from premiums on administrative costs, employee raises, and other non-health related things.
Seniors who use Medicare are currently receiving a prescription drug discount. It is a way of helping them to afford to pay for their medications when they fall into the coverage gap called the “doughnut hole”. Without the ACA, your parents or grandparents will go back to struggling to pay for their medicine, (or going without it).
Right now, insurance companies are prohibited from denying coverage for children who have a pre-existing condition. Without the ACA, parents of children who have everything from asthma to cancer will have to go back to struggling with medical debt from the hospital bills and medical bills for their uninsured child.
Hopefully, the Justices of the Supreme Court are intelligent enough to understand that their decision about the Affordable Care Act will directly affect every American, and will take into account the consequences of that whatever they decide. Brace yourselves, people. We could be in for a very bumpy ride.
Image by Kate Mereand-Sinha on Flickr