Last week’s Texas court ruling is the latest attempt to take away health coverage for millions of Americans, including kids and families. The Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act twice and this lower court decision doesn’t change that. Instead, it is yet another partisan attempt that fails to improve the health care system or lower costs for anyone. Most legal experts agree that this case has no legal standing and is unlikely to succeed. This is an attempt to confuse people and deter states from moving forward with important innovations that will protect health coverage and stabilize insurance markets. We won’t let that happen here in Utah.
It is always troubling when there are threats to health insurance for so many—especially our most vulnerable kids and families. The intent of this case has always been to take us back to a time when people were denied coverage for having a pre-existing condition like cancer or heart disease or charged more because they were a woman. Utah families deserve better than this.
Utah voters spoke clearly on November 7 by overwhelmingly demanding Medicaid expansion be implemented to provide coverage for themselves, their families and their neighbors. This ruling has nothing to do with what Utahns decided. We look forward to working with our state leaders and making sure that Medicaid expansion moves forward without delay, and Utahns can get affordable coverage and care. One judge in Texas is not going to determine the fate and health of Utah’s residents.
