Judges of a federal appeals court have been toiling over the legality of one of the key provisions of the Affordable Care Act. It is a provision that has been steeped in controversy since being introduced in early 2010. That is the provision that requires all U.S. citizens to have some form of health insurance.
While the entirety of the federal health care law has been accused of being unconstitutional, it is this provision that has received much of this attention. Opponents of the provision have argued against it to an exhaustive extent, yet their efforts may have been in vain, as the court has ruled to uphold the provision.
The Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the provision broke no laws nor did it overextend the authority allotted to the federal government. This has set a precedent for future trials, but the provisions ultimate fate rests in the hands of the Supreme Court, which will be hearing the issue next year.
The health care overhaul was originally meant to be a solution to an ailing insurance and medical service industry. The new law ensures that citizens can find affordable insurance coverage through state-run exchanges and protects those suffering from chronic illnesses from being denied coverage. These benefits are often lauded as the great accomplishments of the health care reform, but the provision mandating insurance coverage has left the nation divided.
This particular provision will not take effect until 2014, giving its opponents plenty of time to seeks its revocation.
