BREAKING: Supreme Court Upholds ObamaCare's Individual Mandate as a Tax
The Supreme Court has ruled that ObamaCare's individual mandate to purchase health insurance will survive as a tax, with Chief Justice Roberts joining the court liberals to write a majority opinion. The court also placed some narrow limits on federal power to limit state Medicaid funds.
Update: SCOTUSBlog reports that Chief Justice John Roberts cast the deciding vote to save the law. Essentially the entire law will stand.
Update: The ruling states that, "The court reinforces that individuals can simply refuse to pay the tax and not comply with the mandate."
Update: The Supreme Court did not invalidate the law's Medicaid expansion, but states are allowed to opt out of participating in the expansion without losing existing federal Medicaid funds.
Details still coming in, with many reporting that the ruling is unexpectedly complex and confusing. This post will be updated.
Check back soon for a full analysis of the ruling.
Catch up with Reason's coverage of ObamaCare and the Supreme Court here. And check out Reason's cover package on the landmark court challenge that led to the ruling:
ObamaCare on Trial. The libertarian legal movement threatens Barack Obama's signature law. By Damon Root.
The ObamaCare Tax? Regulation, taxation, and the insurance mandate. By Jacob Sullum.
Wonky Justice. The dubious policy assumptions behind ObamaCare's legal defense. By Peter Suderman.
What's Next if ObamaCare Is Struck Down? The political upside of ditching the health insurance mandate. By Peter Suderman.
Fair-Weather Federalists. Why conservatives and progressives should unite against an overweening national government. By Jacob Sullum.
