Massachusetts

Over 400K in Mass. Could Lose Coverage if Affordable Care Act Is Repealed: Report

Repealing the Affordable Care Act could leave 422,000 people in the Commonwealth without healthcare, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield

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Billions of dollars in federal funding could be at stake for Massachusetts in a make-or-break challenge to the Affordable Care Act, according to a report.

The Supreme Court, starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, is weighing the fate of former President Barack Obama's signature health care law.

According to Blue Cross Blue Shield, a repeal could leave 422,000 people in the Commonwealth without healthcare. The state could lose $3.3 billion in federal funds and, amid the pandemic, absorb close to $2.2 billion in costs in order to reinstate the care that existed in Massachusetts since 2006.

On Tuesday, 18 states lead by Texas will argue that the individual mandate provision -- which requires all Americans get health insurance or pay income tax penalties -- is unconstitutional. Republicans have long argued that the ACA must be scrapped.

The decision could disrupt health care coverage for millions of Americans.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has said a group of 20 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. House of Representatives will be defending the ACA and the laws protecting people with preexisting conditions and Medicaid expansion.

The court's decision is not expected for months. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to speak Tuesday about the risks involved with overturning the ACA.

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