#ODIC Virtual Town Hall: SCOTUS Hearing on Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act

On November 10, we'll have #OurDayInCourt (#ODIC) when the Supreme Court hears
Texas v. California. The outcome of the case could gut the Patient Protection & Affordable
Care Act (Obamacare), disproportionately affecting LGBTQ+, women, low-income,
and people of color.

That evening (5pm PT / 8pm ET), National Equality Action Team (NEAT) and our cosponsors will host a Virtual Town Hall where our panel of experts will break down the case, the arguments made at the court, potential outcomes, and what we can do between now and #DecisionDay (#DD).

WHEN: Tuesday, November 10, 2020 @ 5 PM PT

RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfqcegKmQZOkdcC20TVIraDG2X88fmvSUKBSHMhK4XEi_iVg/viewform

Website: https://www.ourdayincourt.org/


THE CASE

In 2010 President Obama signed the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (PP & ACA) into law. The PP & ACA included a provision requiring individuals to have health coverage (called the individual mandate) or pay a fine. In a 2012 case, the Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate requirement by classifying it as a "tax," which is legal for Congress to pass. In 2017, President Trump signed a law that reduced that fine ("tax") to zero. In 2018, 20 states filed a lawsuit against the PP & ACA declaring that since the fine no longer raised any money it was no longer a tax and therefore unconstitutional. Furthermore, they claim that if this part of the PP & ACA is struck down, the entire law must be invalidated.

On November 10, 2020, the issues before SCOTUS will be:

1. Does reducing the fine to zero for not having insurance make the individual mandate unconstitutional

2. If so, does that make the entire PP & ACA unconstitutional?


WHAT'S AT STAKE IF THE PATIENT PROTECTION & AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IS OVERTURNED?

--Women would lose coverage for no-cost preventative services like mammograms (1)
--Women would pay $1 billion more than men each year for the same insurance (1)
--Individual insurance plans with maternity coverage could drop from 100% to 12% (1)
--20 million people would lose access to medical insurance (2)
--54 million Americans would lose protections for their pre-existing conditions (2)
--12 million Americans would be kicked off Medicaid (2)
--Dependents up to age 26 would no longer be allowed on their parents insurance (2)
--7.8 million low and middle income Americans would lose subsidies to help them purchase health insurance (3)
--Uninsured LGBTQ+ Americans dropped from 34% to 16% (4)
--Repeal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people in health insurance, health programs (4)


ABOUT: The National Equality Action Team (NEAT)

https://www.facebook.com/theneatorg/

The National Equality Action Team (NEAT) is the home for harnessing and building the unique power of everyday people and partners anywhere, to make extraordinary change together, for LGBTQ+ Justice everywhere. We do this through intersectional, grassroots, collective action and education.
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