The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear oral arguments on four questions at this point in time. They have granted 5 1/2 hours which is an unprecedented allotment in modern times.
These 4 questions stem from a lawsuit that was filed by Florida and joined by 25 other states. The lawsuit was appealed to Atlanta’s 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is the only court thus far to strike down any part of the law.
The questions:
1) Does Congress have the constitutional authority to require individuals to buy health insurance?
2) If the individual mandate is unconstitutional, is the rest of the reform law invalid?
3) Is the mandate actually a tax, and does that mean it can’t be challenged until after it becomes effective in 2014?
4) Does Congress have the power to coerce states to expand Medicaid by withholding federal matching funds?
It is expected that the hearing will take place in March, with a decision expected before July. This should make the presidential campaigning interesting.
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