U.S. Supreme Court rules to uphold sweeping health care law
June 28, 2012
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, IMS President Dr. Rob Lee said it’s imperative we keep moving forward to address how this country and Iowa can do a better job of providing affordable health care to its citizens. “Our current health care system is unsustainable, and physicians must remain engaged in discussions with Congress and our lawmakers at the Statehouse as these reforms are implemented,” he said. “We stand committed to always seeking ways to improve care for our patients.”
AMA president Jeremy Lazarus, MD, issued a statement saying the American Medical Association has long supported health insurance coverage for all, and the organization is pleased that the Supreme Court decision means millions of Americans can look forward to the coverage they need to get healthy and stay healthy. He also said: “The AMA remains committed to working on behalf of America's physicians and patients to ensure the law continues to be implemented in ways that support and incentivize better health outcomes and improve the nation's health care system. This decision protects important improvements, such as ending coverage denials due to pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps on insurance, and allowing the 2.5 million young adults up to age 26 who gained coverage under the law to stay on their parents' health insurance policies. The expanded health care coverage upheld by the Supreme Court will allow patients to see their doctors earlier rather than waiting for treatment until they are sicker and care is more expensive.
The decision upholds funding for important research on the effectiveness of drugs and treatments and protects expanded coverage for prevention and wellness care, which has already benefited about 54 million Americans. The health reform law upheld by the Supreme Court simplifies administrative burdens, including streamlining insurance claims, so physicians and their staff can spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork. It protects those in the Medicare ‘donut hole,’ including the 5.1 million Medicare patients who saved significantly on prescription drugs in 2010 and 2011. These important changes have been made while maintaining our American system with both private and public insurers.”