Nine Of The Nine Million Americans Who Could Lose Their Health Care In The King v. Burwell Ruling
One month from today, on March 4, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in King v. Burwell, the ideologically-driven lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act that seeks to strip premium tax credits from people who live in states with a federal insurance marketplace. Despite the legalese, this case is just like the one heard by the Supreme Court two years ago: it’s goal is to destroy the ACA.
There’s a big difference between this case and the case two years ago, however. Now, the insurance marketplaces are up and running and millions of people have purchased quality, affordable coverage that they rely upon. Now, a wrong decision by the Supreme Court would create chaos: nearly nine million Americans would lose their health insurance.
This is more than a statistic — these are real people losing the peace of mind that comes with health insurance. That is why today, the Center for American Progress launched a new website, HearTheNine.org, to feature the stories of nine Americans whose health care hangs in the balance — one for each Supreme Court justice. This week features the first three stories: Joe L. of Pennsylvania, who thanks to the ACA is covered despite having a pre-existing condition; Jennifer C. of Tennessee, for whom health insurance under the ACA could be the difference between life and death; and Aurora H. of Texas, who saved $1,500 shopping on the insurance marketplace.
In addition, CAP released state fact sheets today for nine states on the disastrous consequences of a bad decision in King v. Burwell: Iowa, Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
For the next month, we will be highlighting more personal stories, videos, and facts about the case at HearTheNine.org, culminating in a major event outside the Supreme Court on the day of the oral arguments—March 4. Stay tuned.
BOTTOM LINE: King v. Burwell is simply the latest chapter in the years-long partisan political campaign to achieve what Republicans have not been able to in Congress or at the ballot box: the repeal of the ACA. The consequences of this case would be drastic for millions of Americans. Visit HearTheNine.org to see the stories of nine individuals whose health hangs in the balance.