Obamacare has helped roughly 20 million Americans obtain medical insurance either through government programmes or through policies from private insurers made available in Obamacare marketplaces. — Reuters pic
The court, however, avoided answering the key question of whether the rest of the law can remain in place or must be struck down, instead sending the case back to a district court judge for further analysis. That means the fate of the signature domestic achievement of Democratic former President Barack Obama remains in limbo.
The law has drawn Republican ire since its passage. Congressional Republicans tried and failed numerous times to repeal it, and the Trump administration has taken several actions to undermine it. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who heads a coalition of 20 Democratic-led states defending the law, said the ruling means Trump “got the gift he wanted ― uncertainty in the healthcare system and a pathway to repeal.”
In 2012, the Supreme Court narrowly upheld most Obamacare provisions including the individual mandate, which required people to obtain insurance or pay a financial penalty. The court defined this penalty as a tax and thus found the law permissible under the Constitution's provision empowering Congress to levy taxes.