24 Patient Groups Endorse Expedited Supreme Court Review of Affordable Care Act Case

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The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)

Jan 03, 2020, 14:40 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-four organizations representing millions of patients strongly support the petitions filed today by state attorneys general and by the U.S. House of Representatives that seek expedited U.S. Supreme Court review of last month's Texas v. United States ruling.

The coalition issued the following statement:

"Our organizations, representing millions of individuals and families affected by chronic and serious health conditions, are grateful for the swift action taken by 20 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Patients cannot afford to endure prolonged uncertainty about the long-term status of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the critical protections it guarantees.

"While the ACA remains the law of the land, the December appeals court ruling leaves open the possibility that millions of people with pre-existing conditions will one day find themselves without access to the law's important patient protections. It is critical that the Supreme Court takes up this case for review immediately and provides a resolution to this case that threatens the foundational protections our communities rely on."

Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck down the ACA's individual mandate and remanded the case back to the district court to rule on whether other components of the law, including the future of many key patient protections, remain valid. The petitions filed today request the Supreme Court review the appeals court's decision that the ACA's individual mandate is unconstitutional as well as whether, if it is unconstitutional, the rest of the ACA remains unaffected.

ALS Association
American Heart Association
American Liver Foundation
American Lung Association
Arthritis Foundation
Chronic Disease Coalition
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Epilepsy Foundation
Hemophilia Federation of America
Lutheran Services in America
March of Dimes
Muscular Dystrophy Association
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
National Health Council
National Kidney Foundation
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Organization for Rare Disorders
National Patient Advocate Foundation
National Psoriasis Foundation
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
United Way Worldwide
Women Heart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease