Full Steam Ahead: Affordable Care Act Preparations and Compliance by Issuers and ASOs Must Continue

On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its much-anticipated opinion in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, 567 U.S. __ (2012). The Court ruled on key issues affecting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("ACA"): (i) it upheld the constitutionality of the 'individual mandate' as a tax; and (ii) it found unconstitutional a provision that would permit the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to withdraw all of the Medicaid funding provided to a state if that state chooses not to expand Medicaid to certain thresholds set forth in the Act.