Supreme Court Backs All Parts of Obama's Healthcare Law

The Supreme Court has upheld all parts of President Barack Obama's controversial healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act, including the individual mandate to obtain health insurance.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the Court's majority opinion, was in the 5-4 majority. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan joined in the majority, which concluded that the mandate requiring each American to obtain health insurance or face a penalty was within the Consitutional power of Congress to collect taxes.

"The individual mandate cannot be upheld as an exercise of Congress's power under the Commerce Clause," Roberts wrote. "That Clause authorizes Congress to regulate interstate commerce, not to order individuals to engage in it. In this case, however, it is reasonable to construe what Congress has done as increasing taxes on those who have a certain amount of income, but choose to go without health insurance. Such legislation is within Congress's power to tax."

The president’s healthcare policy, recognized as his signature legislative achievement, would provide an additional 30 million Americans with healthcare insurance.

This means that children, until the age of 26, are still allowed to remain on their parents' healthcare insurance. Also, healthcare insurance companies still cannot deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions as part of this law.

Effective in 2014, no American can be denied healthcare coverage for pre-existing conditions.

The Affordable Care Act was designed to:

• Expand access to Medicaid
• Require most individuals to carry health insurance
• Prohibit insurers from denying health insurance coverage based on pre-existing conditions
• Create exchanges so individuals and families not eligible for government or employer-sponsored health insurance plans may purchase coverage at more affordable rates.

For a more detailed summary of the act, see the document (PDF) at right.

Political Implications of the Health Care Ruling

Today's ruling will likely become a political football, pundits say, in the run-up to the presidential election just four months away.

Former Massachusetts Gov. , who will face President  in the presidential election on Nov. 6, has called for doing away with the law. , and told supporters, "We already know it's bad policy that's got to go." (See video of Romney's campaign stop in Sterling here.)

The Supreme Court's website has audio from arguments in the Supreme Court Affordable Care Act case when it was heard by the court in March.

About 56 percent of Americans say they oppose the law, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released over the weekend.

Do you agree or disagree with the Supreme Court's ruling? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

South Cobb Patch will continue to provide updates and local information about how the ruling will affect you.

-Georgetown Patch editorial staff contributed to this report.