U.S. Supreme Court affirms access to ACA insurance subsidies in Maine
In a 6-3 ruling announced Thursday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that the Affordable Care Act allows Americans in all states, not just those that established their own exchanges, to receive insurance premium subsidies under the health care law often referred to as Obamacare.
The justices sided with the Obama administration in the case, which was widely seen as a serious threat to the health care law since an estimated 6.4 million Americans receive the subsidies in the 34 states that don't have their own exchanges, in many cases relying on them to afford their health insurance. Maine is one of those states, with more than 60,000 being eligible for tax credits to reduce the cost of their monthly health insurance premiums.
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, released a statement soon after the ruling was announced mid-morning: “Today, more than 60,000 people in Maine and millions more across the country can breathe a sigh of relief that they still have access to the high-quality, affordable health insurance plans provided through the Affordable Care Act. “I hope that we can finally put discussions about dismantling the law behind us, and instead, dedicate ourselves to making this law better for the millions of Americans who it helps every day.”
The Augusta-based Consumers for Affordable Health Care also applauded the ruling.
“This decision means that we won't turn the clock back on the progress we've made,” Emily Brostek, the nonprofit’s executive director, said in a prepared statement sent to Mainebiz. “Nearly 70,000 people in Maine have already benefited from greater health and economic security through the health care law. But our work is not finished. Let's finish the job by accepting federal funds to cover low-income Mainers through MaineCare. Even as we celebrate this victory, we will continue to advocate for universal access to health care so that everyone in Maine can have the affordable health coverage and care they need to live long, healthy lives."
In 2015, more than 68,000 people in Maine enrolled in a plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace, and nearly 61,000 were eligible for tax credits to reduce the cost of their monthly health insurance premiums, according to Consumers for Affordable Health Care.
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