Supporters of the Affordable Care Act are pointing out Alabama’s participation on the fifth anniversary of the program. It was in 2010 when President Obama signed the Act into law. One hundred and seventy one thousand Alabamians were enrolled as of last month when the latest sign-up period ended. The U.S. Supreme Court could deal the Act a setback in June. That’s when the Justices rule on the legality of tax subsidies that help people buy policies. Pamela Roshell is regional director for the Department of Health and Human Services. She believes the system will survive no matter how the court rules…
“In our argument, we do not believe Congress intended to give tax credits to citizens in some states and not others. And so, we believe when the law was passed, Congress intended all citizens to get financial assistance and not just certain citizens.”
The White House has said previously that there's no "plan B" if the subsidy payments are struck down by the nation's High Court. Thirty two percent of the Alabamians who are enrolled in the Affordable Care Act this year are in the eighteen to thirty four year old age bracket. That’s a slight increase from the year before. Dr. Roshell says there’s wellness care available through the act along with insurance coverage…
“Staying healthy and getting screened for possible problem is at no cost for these consumers, so this will definitely put many people on the right track as it relates to managing their health better, and seeing if there’s a problem.”
The Alabama Public Radio newsroom partnered with AL.com for a year long examination of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Links to our stories on apr.org are below.
