This week, a federal appeals court struck down a key component of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, by ruling that the federal government cannot require Americans to purchase health insurance. This decision comes after Indiana and several other states challenged the law’s constitutionality. In response to Wednesday’s court ruling, Attorney General Curtis Hill Thursday released the following statement:
“This law’s incompatibility with the Constitution is the reason my office chose to challenge it. From the beginning, the Affordable Care Act amounted to federal overreach. Congress should never have imposed this one-size-fits-all mandate in the first place. Choice, freedom and the roles of the individual states must remain part of the health care equation in America.
“Beyond violating the Constitution, the Affordable Care Act also has failed on a practical level to achieve its stated aims. It has narrowed people’s health care options and driven up costs.
“At this point, Americans now must engage with the question of where U.S. policymakers should go from here. Congress, the Trump administration and the 50 state legislatures all have important parts to play. President Trump has expressed support for the latest court decision and pledged to keep working ‘to give the American people the best health care in the world.’
“All Americans — not just the 85 to 90 percent covered by their employers and/or Medicare/Medicaid — should have access to quality health care that they can afford. While remaining true to the Constitution, Congress and the individual states now must develop sound policies that safeguard the health care needs of all individuals, including those with pre-existing conditions.”
