While we were busy fighting on the front lines, the dishonorable enemy crept up on our right flank and, with the help of their lackeys on the Bench, may yet score a decisive victory against poor people. Over 6.5 million people are in danger of losing their access to quality healthcare.
King v. Burwell is a challenge to a key component of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), a landmark law dedicated to achieving widespread, affordable health care. The ACA provides that individuals can purchase competitively-priced health insurance on American Health Benefit Exchanges (“Exchanges”) that may be run by either the States or the federal government. It also authorizes a federal tax credit for low- and middle-income individuals who purchase insurance on the Exchanges. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued a regulation confirming that the federal tax credit is available to all financially eligible Americans, regardless of whether they purchase insurance on a state-run or federally-facilitated Exchange.As the President recently said,, the Supreme Court should not have even taken up the case. And while the president is hopeful that an early decision means that the Justices are "going to do what legal scholars would expect them to do” and uphold the law, a ruling for the plaintiffs will be devastating news for those whose premiums are subsidized.
According to DailyKos's own Brainwrap
many people currently enrolled in ACA exchange healthcare policies will be utterly screwed starting as early as July in the event of the Supreme Court ruling for the plaintiffs in King v. Burwell.More from Charles Gaba (Brainwrap):
It's important to note that the "currently" caveat means that this only refers to the 6.5 million who would be directly screwed; this doesn't include the indirect casualties, which would likely add another 6.5 million to the pile.
A couple of days ago I noted that the primary damage (but by no means the only damage) of the Supreme Court ruling for the plaintiffs in King v. Burwell would be for appx. 6.5 million people to have to shell out an average of over $1,600 in extra taxes this year to keep their current healthcare policy through the end of 2015, plus a likely average 493% hike in premium rates if they want to keep the same policies in 2016.We are hoping and praying that the Justices will listen to their better angels. That they will "faithfully discharge the duties" of their offices. That they remember that for millions of Americans - poor and middle class - the decision they make will not be abstract and or hypothetical, but that their judgement will impact real lives. Indeed, the decision the Justices make will determine whether millions of citizens of these United States will live or die.
Talk about a death panel.
