Defending the Affordable Care Act


On February 28, 2018, Texas filed the lawsuit to dismantle the ACA in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, and was joined by 19 other states. On April 9, 2018, the Attorney General's Office and the Attorneys General of Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai'i, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota by and through its Department of Commerce, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia, sought to intervene in the federal lawsuit to vigorously defend the ACA and the millions of families across the country who rely on it for affordable care.

The motion to intervene was granted on May 16, 2018, and the Office of the Attorney General's coalition filed its opposition to Texas’ motion for a preliminary injunction on June 7, 2018. Texas’ requested preliminary injunction would harm millions of Americans by taking away vital healthcare services and stripping funding from our nation’s public health system, including funding for work to combat the opioid epidemic.

Timeline of Legal Actions

Support

A diverse group of patient groups, legal experts, economists, medical associations, and public health experts, have filed amicus briefs in Texas et al. v. United States et al. supporting California’s opposition to Texas and 19 other states’ motion seeking to halt the operation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) nationwide. The Texas-led lawsuit would end the ACA, threatening healthcare coverage for 20 million Americans – including nearly five million in California – and divert billions of dollars in funding for critical healthcare programs and services nationwide. Terminating the ACA would also strip 133 million Americans with pre-existing health conditions of the legal protection against discriminatory cancellation or denial of their health insurance.

A bipartisan group of attorneys general, legal scholars, economists, and all major medical organizations filed amicus briefs in the 5th Circuit in support of California’s coalition. Links to the briefs can be found in our press release

  • American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, Catholic Health Association, America’s Essential Hospitals and the Association of American Medical Colleges
  • American Medical Association, American Academy of Allergy, Asthmas and Immunology, American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Association of Public Health Physicians, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Correctional Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Physicians, American College of Radiation Oncology, American Geriatrics Society, American Medical Women’s Association, American Osteopathic Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Society of Hematology, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality, and Renal Physicians Association
  • State Hospital Associations from Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana,
  • Bipartisan Economists: Stuart Altman, Susan Athey, Linda Blumberg, Barry Bosworth, Gary Burtless, Stuart Butler, Amitabh Chandra, Philip Cook, Janet Currie, David Cutler, Karen Davis, Peter Diamond, Mark Duggan, Douglas Elmendorf, Ezekiel Emanuel, Judith Feder, Austin Frakt, Matthew Fiedler, Craig Garthwaite, Martin Gaynor, Sherry Glied, Claudia Goldin, Vivian Ho, John Holahan, Jill Horwitz, Lawrence Katz, Timothy Jost, Genevieve M. Kenney, Frank Levy, Peter H. Lindert, John E. McDonough, Eric S. Maskin, Alan C. Monheit, Marilyn Moon, Joseph Newhouse, Len M. Nichols, Mark Pauly, Harold Pollack, Daniel Polsky, James B. Rebitzer, Michael Reich, Robert Reischauer, Thomas Rice, Alice M. Rivlin, Meredith Rosenthal, William Sage, Louise Sheiner, Katherine Swartz, Kenneth Thorpe, Laura Tyson, Paul N. Van de Water, Kevin Volpp, Gail Wilensky, Justin Wolfers, and Stephen Zuckerman
  • Bipartisan Legal Scholars: Jonathan H. Adler, Nicholas Bagley, Abbe R. Gluck, and Ilya Somin
  • Attorneys Generals from Ohio and Montana
  • AHIP, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Alliance of Community Health Plans
  • Patient Groups: American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Global Healthy Living Foundation, Hemophilia Federation of America, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, March of Dimes, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, National Hemophilia Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Kennedy Forum
  • Children’s Groups: First Focus and the Children’s Partnership
  • Recognized Tribal Nations, Tribal Health Programs, and Tribal Organizations
  • Disability Rights Groups: American Association of People with Disabilities, American Civil Liberties Union, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, and other leading disability rights organizations
  • Cities and Counties: Santa Clara County, City of Chicago, City of Los Angeles, City of Alexandria, VA, City of Baltimore, MD, City of Berkeley, CA, Bexar County, TX, City Boulder, CO, Broward County, FL, Cameron County, TX, Town of Carrboro, NC, City of Columbus, OH, Cook County, IL, County of El Paso, TX, Holmes County, MS, City of Houston, TX, Jefferson County, MS, King County, WA, City of Lawrence, MA, County of Milwaukee, WI, City of Minneapolis, MN, County of Monroe, IN, City of New York, NY, City of Northampton, MA, City of Oakland, CA, Orange County, FL, City of Pittsburgh, PA, City of Portland, OR, Pulaski County, AR, County of Santa Fe, NM, City and County of San Francisco, CA, City of Seattle, WA, Shelby County, TN, and Travis County, TX
  • Health Care Association
  • Seniors Groups: AARP, AARP Foundation, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Justice in Aging
  • National Women’s Law Center, National Partnership for Women and Families, Black Women’s Health Imperative, and American Medical Women’s Association
  • Small Business Majority

Filings

July 2020

July 29, 2020

Attorney General Becerra Leads Multistate Reply Brief in Supreme Court Fight to Save the ACA

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-leads-multistate-reply-brief-supreme-court-fight-save

May 2020

May 14, 2020

Bipartisan Coalition of Leaders and Experts Support Supreme Court Fight to Protect ACA

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/bipartisan-coalition-leaders-and-experts-support-supreme-court-fight-protect-aca

May 6, 2020

Attorney General Becerra Leads Coalition of 20 States and the District of Columbia Defending the ACA in U.S. Supreme Court

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-leads-coalition-20-states-and-district-columbia

March 2020

March 2, 2020

Supreme Court Grants California Review of ACA Repeal Case

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/supreme-court-grants-california-review-aca-repeal-case

February 2020

February 12, 2020

Attorney General Becerra Files Reply Brief in Supreme Court, Asks to Resolve the ACA Repeal Lawsuit

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-files-reply-brief-supreme-court-asks-resolve-aca-repeal

January 2020

January 16, 2020

Diverse, Bipartisan Coalition Supports Attorney General Becerra’s Defense of the ACA, Urges Supreme Court to Act

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/diverse-bipartisan-coalition-supports-attorney-general-becerra%E2%80%99s-defense-aca

January 3, 2020

Attorney General Becerra Leads Coalition Seeking Supreme Court Review of ACA Repeal Case

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-leads-coalition-seeking-supreme-court-review-aca-repeal

July 2019

July 5, 2019

Attorney General Becerra Reiterates the Stakes in Texas v. US, Leads Coalition of 21 Attorneys General in Fight to Protect the Affordable Care Act

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-reiterates-stakes-in%C2%A0texas-v-us-leads-coalition-21

MAY 2019

May 22, 2019

Attorney General Becerra Continues Fight to Protect the Affordable Care Act, Leads Coalition of 21 Attorneys General Challenge Plaintiffs’ Standing in Texas v. US in Texas v. US

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-continues-fight-protect-affordable-care-act-leads-0

APRIL 2019

APRIL 2, 2019

Bipartisan Scholars, Economists, Public Health Experts, Hospital and Provider Associations, Patient Groups, Counties, Cities and More Support Coalition of 21 Attorneys General in Fight to Protect the Affordable Care Act

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/bipartisan-scholars-economists-public-health-experts-hospital-and-provider

MARCH 2019

MARCH 25, 2019

Attorney General Becerra Continues Fight to Protect the Affordable Care Act, Leads Coalition of 21 Attorneys General in Filing Opening Brief in Texas v. US

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-continues-fight-protect-affordable-care-act-leads

JANUARY 2019

JANUARY 3, 2019

Attorney General Becerra Leads Multistate Coalition to Appeal ACA Ruling in Texas v. U.S.

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-leads-multistate-coalition-appeal-aca-ruling-texas-v--0

DECEMBER 2018

DECEMBER 26, 2018

Attorney General Becerra Leads Multistate Coalition Continuing to Defend the ACA

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-leads-multistate-coalition-continuing-defend-aca

DECEMBER 17, 2018

Attorney General Becerra and Coalition of 17 AGs File Motion to Prevent Harm, Protect the ACA

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-and-coalition-17-ags-file-motion-prevent-harm-protect

DECEMBER 14, 2018

Attorney General Becerra Denounces Court Ruling Declaring the ACA Unconstitutional, Vows to Continue the Fight

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-denounces-court-ruling-declaring-aca-unconstitutional

SEPTEMBER 2018

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Attorney General Becerra Continues Defense of Affordable Care Act

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.govhttps://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-continues-defense-affordable-care-act

AUGUST 2018

AUGUST 23, 2018

Attorney General Becerra Joins Coalition of 12 Attorneys General in Seeking to Block the Trump Administration from Diminishing Affordable Care Act Consumer Protections

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-joins-coalition-12-attorneys-general-seeking-block-0

JULY 2018

JULY 26, 2018

Attorney General Becerra Joins 12-State Coalition in Filing Suit Over Trump Administration’s Move to Sabotage Affordable Care Act Protections

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-joins-12-state-coalition-filing-suit-over-trump

JUNE 2018

June 14, 2018

Patient Groups, Medical Associations, Public Health Experts, and More Support Coalition of 17 Attorneys General in Fight to Protect the Affordable Care Act

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/patient-groups-medical-associations-public-health-experts-and-more-support

June 7, 2018

In Texas et al. v. United States et al., Attorney General Becerra Leads Coalition of 17 Attorneys General Opposing Texas' Latest Move to End the Affordable Care Act

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/texas-et-al-v-united-states-et-al-attorney-general-becerra-leads-coalition-17

MAY 2018

MAY 16, 2018

Attorney General Becerra, Coalition of 16 Attorneys General Successfully Intervene to Defend the Affordable Care Act in Federal Lawsuit Filed in Texas

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-coalition-16-attorneys-general-successfully-intervene

APRIL 2018

APRIL 27, 2018

Attorney General Becerra: “We Should All Have Our Day in Court” in Defense of Affordable Healthcare

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-%E2%80%9Cwe-should-all-have-our-day-court%E2%80%9D-defense-affordable

APRIL 9, 2018

16 AGs, Moves to Defend the Affordable Care Act Against Federal Lawsuit Filed in Texas

Press Release:
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-becerra-joined-16-ags-moves-defend-affordable-care-act-against

Media