Archive for July, 2012

The Supreme Court and the Affordable Care Act

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

On June 28, 2012, the US Supreme Court ruled that the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual mandate is a constitutional exercise of Congress’s power to impose taxes. Due to the Court’s decision, compliance efforts likely will continue with major provisions of the ACA becoming effective in 2013 and 2014. According to Chief Justice Roberts, “The Affordable Care Act’s requirement that certain individuals pay a financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a tax. Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness.”