{"id":20778,"date":"2019-10-12T04:00:16","date_gmt":"2019-10-12T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/heads-up-a-ruling-on-the-latest-challenge-to-the-affordable-care-act-is-coming\/"},"modified":"2019-10-12T04:00:16","modified_gmt":"2019-10-12T12:00:16","slug":"heads-up-a-ruling-on-the-latest-challenge-to-the-affordable-care-act-is-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.info\/content\/heads-up-a-ruling-on-the-latest-challenge-to-the-affordable-care-act-is-coming\/","title":{"rendered":"Heads Up: A Ruling On The Latest Challenge To The Affordable Care Act Is Coming"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Selena Simmons-Duffin<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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\n The latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act, Texas v. Azar<\/em>, was argued in July in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Attorney Robert Henneke, representing the plaintiffs, spoke outside the courthouse on July 9.<\/p>\n

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Gerald Herbert\/AP<\/p>\n

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Gerald Herbert\/AP<\/p>\n

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A decision in the latest court case to threaten the future of the Affordable Care Act <\/a>could come as soon as this month. The ruling will come from the panel of judges in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard oral arguments in the Texas v. Azar<\/em> lawsuit.<\/p>\n

An estimated 24 million people get their health coverage through programs created under the law, which has faced countless court challenges since it passed.<\/p>\n

In court in July, only two of the three judges \u2014 both appointed by Republican presidents \u2014 asked questions. “Oral argument in front of the circuit went about as badly for the defenders of the Affordable Care Act as it could have gone,” says Nicholas Bagley<\/a>, a professor of law at the University of Michigan. “To the extent that oral argument offers an insight into how judges are thinking about the case, I think we should be prepared for the worst \u2014 the invalidation of all or a significant part of the Affordable Care Act.”<\/p>\n

Important caveat: Regardless of this ruling, the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land. Whatever the 5th Circuit rules, it will be a long time before anything actually changes. Still, the timing of the ruling matters, says Sabrina Corlette<\/a>, director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University.<\/p>\n