Today the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the lawsuit seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This case, California vs. Texas, argues that the ACA’s individual mandate is unconstitutional and puts the entire ACA in jeopardy of being struck down.
NCIL is closely following this. The ACA has been vital to millions of people across the country, including the disability community. Because of that, NCIL has consistently fought efforts to weaken and get rid of the ACA. NCIL, along with nearly 20 other national disability rights organizations, filed an amicus brief opposing these efforts to invalidate the ACA. In it, we argued how the ACA has expanded healthcare access and coverage for people with disabilities and society as a whole, including how the ACA’s changes to Medicaid have increased and improved access to healthcare and long term services and supports (LTSS). View the amicus brief (PDF).
Striking down the ACA would be devastating, especially for people with disabilities. And the thought of taking healthcare away from millions of people is even more unconscionable as we deal with the devastation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, we do not expect to have a ruling for several months, and we plan to continue fighting. We will continue updating you with information as it becomes available, as well as ways that you can take action.
In the meantime, you can follow some of the today’s action and join in on social media with the hashtags #ProtectOurCare and #SaveTheACA. Additionally we have extended our deadline to share your stories about how the ACA has helped you or how overturning the ACA would be harmful. Please share your stories with by using this online form or emailing [email protected]. We are extending the deadline for this request to Sunday, November 15, 2020.
See our previous alert for information about some of the ways the ACA has helped people.
