How many states have challenged obamacare

Massachusetts created its state-level mandate in prior to the passage of the ACA. Several states have enacted measures opting out of certain reforms or provisions established through the ACA, such as non-expansion of Medicaid , non-participation in the operation of the health exchanges or marketplaces , blocking individual health benefits such as contraception , or restrictions on navigators. Beyond these measures, states have taken various legislative actions to challenge or opt out of broad health reform, especially during the initial implementation stages of the ACA.

Additionally, many states have expanded access to coverage options outside of ACA-compliant health plans. Create Account. California v. King v. Burwell The ACA provides that individuals can purchase health insurance on health insurance marketplaces, or exchanges, run by either the states or the federal government.

National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius In , 26 states, several individuals and the National Federation of Independent Business challenged the constitutionality of the individual mandate and provisions in the ACA requiring states to expand Medicaid coverage or risk losing all federal Medicaid funding. State Legislative Actions Challenging the ACA Several states have enacted measures opting out of certain reforms or provisions established through the ACA, such as non-expansion of Medicaid , non-participation in the operation of the health exchanges or marketplaces , blocking individual health benefits such as contraception , or restrictions on navigators.

Requiring Legislative Approval. At least eight states— Arizona , Arkansas , Georgia , Missouri , Montana , New Hampshire , North Carolina and Wyoming —require legislative approval prior to implementing certain parts of the ACA, such as operating a state-based insurance exchange.

Opposing the Individual and Employer Coverage Mandate. At least 18 states currently have statutory or state constitutional language providing that state government will not implement or enforce mandates requiring the purchase of insurance by individuals or payments by employers.

Pursuing Interstate Health Compacts. Interstate health compacts allow a group of states to collectively establish broad health care programs that operate outside of the ACA or other federal laws. However, these compacts do not block ACA implementation and are not yet binding. About 1. Most of the people with insurance because of the law have it through Medicaid expansion or the health insurance markets that offer subsidized private plans.

But its most popular benefit is protection for people with preexisting medical conditions. They cannot be turned down for coverage on account of health problems, or charged a higher premium.

Before the law, going without medical coverage was akin to a rite of passage for people in their 20s getting a start in the world. Because of the ACA, most privately insured women receive birth control free of charge. So are routine screenings for cancer and other conditions.

Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report. Sections U. Science Technology Business U. By Susan McFarland. Topics Supreme Court Ken Paxton. Latest Headlines. Kevin Stitt following a ruling by a federal court.