DREDF celebrates the US Supreme Court's ruling today that upholds the constitutionality of the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

The US Supreme Court Rules on the Constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act—What was at Stake?


This historic decision means that people with disabilities will continue to benefit from the profound impact of the landmark law. By affirming the individual mandate, the Court ensured that private insurers will have access to the largest possible pool of enrollees, thus holding costs down. In combination with market reforms prohibiting discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions, this affirmation will make it possible for everyone, including an estimated 3.5 million uninsured people with disabilities, to benefit from more affordable insurance prices.


A majority of the Court did strike down the provision in the law that would allow the federal government to penalize any state that does not expand their Medicaid program by withholding all of that state's existing Medicaid funding. However, as the Court's minority decision pointed out, the majority struck down the authority to withhold, not the authority to grant. While the full impact of this part of the holding remains to be seen, it is likely that some states may choose to expand Medicaid in exchange for additional federal funding, which will benefit millions more low-income adults with disabilities.


Read more at the DREDF website HERE.