In The News

Local, state and national health officials and politicos responded to the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling Thursday, upholding the Afordable Care Act.

In King vs. Burrell, the suit challenged the legality of subsidies set up in federal government-run health insurance exchanges in the 34 states that did not set up an exchange for low- and middle-income people.

Since the court upheld the law, there will be no changes for those who are insured through the marketplace. Dr. Kirk Calhoun, president of UT Health Northeast, said the ruling involves the purchase of insurance and doesn't affect services offered by the hospital. 

“The Supreme Court’s ruling regarding subsidies for individuals under the Affordable Care Act allows those who purchase health insurance through the private market to continue receiving federal assistance,” said Dr. Kirk Calhoun, president of UT Health Northeast. “The ruling relates to the purchase of insurance and not how health care is delivered. UT Health Northeast’s mission to provide access to quality health care for our patients remains unchanged."

If the court had ruled against the ACA, more than 832,000 Texans were at risk of losing tax credits, totaling more than $205 million. The average tax credit Texans received through exchanges is $247. There would have been a 305 percent increase in average insurance premiums if the court ruled against the ACA.

Doctors for America expressed relief in a news release.

"The Affordable Care Act is deeply rooted in our health care system — opening doors of care to millions who would otherwise be uninsured. The ACA is transforming lives and our health care system so it works better for patients. From lowering the nation’s uninsured rate to the lowest level in four decades to expanding coverage to millions, the ACA is working.”

Texas Hospital Association shared the sentiments.

“With more than 1 million Texans purchasing private health insurance coverage through the federal marketplace and 86 percent of those receiving tax credits, Texas hospitals can breathe a sigh of relief now that the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Burwell,” said Ted Shaw, THA president and CEO. “Texas still leads the nation in the number of uninsured and we have significant work to do to increase access to coverage. But there is little doubt that hospitals’ financial challenges would be even greater if more than 1 million Texans were added to the rolls of uninsured.”

Texas legislators see it differently. They see the law as crippling to the economy that has harmed small business growth and raised average insurance premiums for individuals.

In a statement, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said today’s decision doesn’t change the fact that Obamacare has been a disaster for the millions of hardworking American families who have seen their health care costs skyrocket or lost their insurance entirely.

He vowed to continue the fight.

“Republicans will continue to fight tooth and nail to repeal this oppressive law and replace it with patient-centered reforms that lower costs and increase access for Texans and all Americans,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he remains committed to repealing the law despite the ruling, calling it the “biggest job killer in America.” Cruz said millions of Americans have lost their insurance, jobs or faced higher premiums and cut work hours as a result of the law.

Cruz was highly critical of court members who he called “lawless” for siding with the Obama administration rather than the Constitutional merits of the law.

“After today’s ruling, Obamacare will now be responsible for imposing illegal taxes on more than 11 million individuals and for burdening hundreds of thousands of businesses with illegal penalties on their workers, killing jobs and further slowing economic growth,” he said in a statement.

Cruz believes the 2016 elections will be a referendum against the law and that Congress will return in 2017 to repeal it.

U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, echoed Cruz’s sentiment.

“In this instance, the Supreme Court has completely abandoned any semblance of basing its rulings on the law,” he said in a statement. “This opinion indicates that the majority put far greater weight on what the leftwing media might say if the Supreme Court followed the law itself, even to the point of writing laws that Congress did not write.”

Gohmert called the law a train wreck of broken promises.

Smith County Democratic Party chairwoman Shirley Falzone said the ruling removes worry and doubt for millions of Americans who would not have had insurance had the court ruled the other way.

Ms. Falzone said the two Supreme Court rulings in favor of the Affordable Care Act should remove all doubt it was a good and fair law. She doesn’t expect further challenges in court and that the law’s implementation would be good for the country.

She said the law and subsequent rulings were a major victory for the Obama presidency.

“Others have tried and he was able to, with Congress, carry this forward,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine that it wouldn’t cement his legacy.”

Smith County Republican Party chairman Tim McCormick said the delayed implementation of required aspects of the law, specifically punitive fines, which will happen after the president leaves office would likely reverse many individual opinions about the law. McCormick said Obama postponing the implementation of those requirements until after his final term ends is the “highest form of playing the political game.”

McCormick said the ruling was a win for Democrats but that the court’s interpretation of the law as it applies to the Constitution would erode public confidence in the highest court of the land.

“The ruling is yet another in line of confusing and disappointing rulings. The logic and standard for reading and interpreting the Constitution doesn’t seem to follow any predictable course," he said.