WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in the case of King v. Burwell to once again uphold the law, beating back a challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that would have forced over 6.4 million people in 34 states who bought health insurance through the federal exchange to lose access to affordable health insurance coverage.

After the ruling, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), who helped pass the landmark health insurance reform law in 2010, issued the following statement:

“People’s access to affordable health care was on the line and I’m pleased the Supreme Court beat back another dubious legal assault on the Affordable Care Act.  If this portion of the law had been overturned it would have been a real setback for millions of working families, businesses, and our health care system.  It would have hurt our economy and essentially raised taxes on low- and moderate-income families in many communities.

“The Affordable Care is five years old and it is working in Rhode Island.  Thanks to the law, thousands of Rhode Islanders are getting better health coverage at a better price and benefitting from stronger consumer protections.  The ACA ensures parents can keep their kids on their insurance longer, makes prescription drugs more affordable for seniors, mandates that 80 percent of consumers’ premium dollars be spent on medical care and not on administrative costs or profit, and it means that being a woman no longer qualifies as a “pre-existing condition.”

“Governor Chafee and the General Assembly made the right decision and successfully built and launched a state-run exchange, and I commend Governor Raimondo for her leadership to continue that progress.  Due to their efforts and provisions in the ACA, nearly 26,000 Rhode Islanders who purchased insurance on the exchange are eligible for $75 million in annual federal tax credits to help make health coverage more affordable.

“I am willing to work with my colleagues to make commonsense changes to mend or strengthen the law, but it is time Republicans stop cynically trying to end it.  Congress needs to break the cycle of manufactured crises and work together so all Americans may have access to better, more efficient, and affordable health care.”

 -end-