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

Amici include organizations representing patients, healthcare professionals, hospitals, insurers, and more

California leads a coalition of 20 states and D.C. in defense of the ACA

SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced that a diverse group of bipartisan economists, patient groups, hospitals, healthcare providers, healthcare insurance companies, and others filed amicus briefs defending the Affordable Care Act. The diverse coalition of amici supports California’s state coalition in its fight to protect the Affordable Care Act. The amici urge the Supreme Court to grant review of California’s case and argue that it is necessary to protect America’s healthcare system and the well-being of Americans across the nation.

“For nearly a decade, the Affordable Care Act has been the backbone of our nation’s healthcare, paving the way toward better care with protections that keep our loved ones healthy and covered,” said Attorney General Becerra. “Our healthcare should never be used as a political football — people’s health isn’t a game, it’s a matter of life and death. Today, a bipartisan coalition of legal experts, patient and physician advocates, economists, and public health experts agree: This repeal lawsuit will cause immense harm and uncertainty, so our fight to save affordable healthcare must go all the way to the Supreme Court.”

These amicus briefs support California’s request that the Supreme Court review a recent Fifth Circuit decision that held the individual mandate of the ACA unconstitutional and called into question whether the remaining provisions of the law could still stand. California’s coalition has asked that the U.S. Supreme Court grant review of this decision and decide the case before the court’s term ends in June, which is needed to alleviate the uncertainty created by this litigation. The law at issue includes hundreds of provisions and rules that countless Americans rely on, including those that require insurers to provide coverage to Americans with pre-existing conditions; provide financial assistance that helps low- and middle-income families access affordable coverage; prevent lifetime insurance limits; and allow young people up to age 26 to stay on their parents’ insurance. 

California and its coalition are leading the defense of the ACA to protect the important advancements in healthcare access made under the law, including:

• More than 12 million Americans receiving coverage through Medicaid expansion;
• Nearly 9 million individuals nationwide receiving tax credits to help afford health insurance coverage through individual marketplaces;
• Millions of working families relying on high-quality employer-sponsored insurance plans; 
• Important protections prohibiting insurers from denying health insurance to the 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions (like diabetes, cancer, or pregnancy) or from charging individuals higher premiums because of their health status; and
• Nearly $1.3 trillion in federal funding being dedicated to keeping Americans healthy and covered, including Medicaid expansion and public health dollars.

Amicus briefs in support were filed by: America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), National Hospital Associations, Small Business Majority Foundation, American Cancer Society, et al., State Hospital Associations, AARP, et al., Bipartisan Scholars, Alliance of Community Health Plans and more.

Joining Attorney General Becerra in defending the ACA are the attorneys general of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota (by and through its Department of Commerce), Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, and the District of Columbia, as well as the Governor of Kentucky.