Although the Obama administration will appeal a Florida judge's decision to strike down the entire healthcare reform law, some Democrats are considering the options should the Supreme Court eventually uphold the Florida decision, according to a report by the Hill.
Judge Roger Vinson struck down the whole law, which is unusual because judges don't want to be accused of legislating from the bench. The decision and others that are both for and against the law are expected to end up with the Supreme Court in a year to two.
An earlier decision against the law in Virginia struck down the law's mandate to buy health insurance, the focus of cases against the law. Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) have called for alternatives to the individual mandate that would still get people insured.
One alternative would be to make people who put off buying insurance pay higher premiums or not have access to protections like the guarantee that pre-existing conditions would be covered. Another would be to instruct states to pass individual mandates and withhold some federal subsidies from them if they don't.
Read the Hill report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage on court rulings against healthcare reform.
- For First Time, Judge Strikes Down Entire Reform Law
- Six More States Seek to Join Suit Challenging Individual Mandate
- Obama Administration Will Appeal Judge's Rejection of Individual Mandate
Judge Roger Vinson struck down the whole law, which is unusual because judges don't want to be accused of legislating from the bench. The decision and others that are both for and against the law are expected to end up with the Supreme Court in a year to two.
An earlier decision against the law in Virginia struck down the law's mandate to buy health insurance, the focus of cases against the law. Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) have called for alternatives to the individual mandate that would still get people insured.
One alternative would be to make people who put off buying insurance pay higher premiums or not have access to protections like the guarantee that pre-existing conditions would be covered. Another would be to instruct states to pass individual mandates and withhold some federal subsidies from them if they don't.
Read the Hill report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage on court rulings against healthcare reform.
- For First Time, Judge Strikes Down Entire Reform Law
- Six More States Seek to Join Suit Challenging Individual Mandate
- Obama Administration Will Appeal Judge's Rejection of Individual Mandate