The Fate of Obamacare

30 Jul The Fate of Obamacare

Louisiana’s Attorney General, Jeff Landry, is one of 20 attorney generals joining the Texas V Azar lawsuit, which is the latest in a series of lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Former President Obama’s national health care system change.

They’re suing the federal government by arguing the health care law is invalid now that Congress has effectively eliminated the individual mandate. The individual mandate was the tax penalty for not buying health insurance, which was a big part of Obama’s health care plan. In 2017, Congress passed President Trump’s tax bill which reduced the individual mandate fine to $0 once the law takes effect in 2019.

The 20 attorney generals argue that Obama’s entire law is invalid without the mandate, including even the parts unrelated to the mandate. California and 15 other states have filed a countersuit to defend Obama’s law, while the U.S. Attorney General’s office is staying neutral to the lawsuits.

The effects of these lawsuits could spill over to hit the broader and more popular market for employer-based insurances. Obama’s law mostly zeroed in on the individual market; however, companies were also affected.

Currently, employers have to provide health insurance to workers within their first 90 days of employment, but a change in health care law could allow employers to impose longer waiting periods for health coverage. There are other changes the lawsuit could bring that would affect how companies provide coverage.

The biggest thing the attorney generals are pushing for is to remove the employer coverage mandate entirely.

Louisiana healthcare professionals are varied in their opinions on the lawsuits, but they agree that business owners shouldn’t be worried about the changes in the law. It will take a few years to go through the courts and have any effects on business.

If you have questions about the health care law or its changes, reach out to us at AWS Insurance.