The newest round of open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act has begun, just as the law comes under a new threat with the Supreme Court’s decision that it will hear a new challenge questioning its government subsidies. The case raises the stakes for HealthCare.gov too; the last thing the Obama administration needs is a repeat of last year’s embarrassing technical glitches. On the flip side, the lawsuit could have an important political effect: It could give GOP leaders Mitch McConnell and John Boehner leeway to avoid dealing with the issue of health care right away. By having a court case to point to, Republicans could delay the health care showdown between their party and the White House – and even one within the GOP itself.
The stakes are high, especially after Democratic losses
Congressional midterm losses aside — when it comes to health care, Democrats might be even more stung by the party’s big losses in governors’ mansions and state legislatures on Election Day. Democrats were counting on a few more gubernatorial wins, which would have boosted the number of states expanding Medicaid or starting state exchanges. The more folks who are insured through ACA, the more entrenched the law becomes – which in turn makes it harder to dismantle. In theory, public pressure isn’t supposed to have an impact on Supreme Court decisions, but the difference between a smooth rollout and a bad one in the law’s second open enrollment period certainly impacts how difficult it would be to gut the law in the future.
Read the full article here.
Contact Steven G. Cosby, MHSA with questions or to request more information and to schedule a healthcare plan evaluation, savings analysis or group plan solution for your company.
