13 Million Americans at Risk of Losing Health Insurance in King v. Burwell

On Wednesday, March 4th, the Supreme Court begins deliberations in King v. Burwell, a legal case that threatens to strip away premium subsidies from two-thirds of states, thus putting low- to moderate-income Americans at risk of losing the health care coverage that was fought for through the Affordable Care Act.

At the core of CHLPI’s mission is expanding access to healthcare for traditionally underserved communities, particularly low-income individuals and families living with chronic medical conditions. The reforms of Affordable Care Act (ACA) made obtaining affordable, comprehensive health insurance a possibility for the first time for millions of Americans—including people with preexisting health problems. Federal tax subsidies are critical to lower-income Americans’ ability to purchase coverage on health insurance Marketplaces (a.k.a. “exchanges”). If these subsidies go away in Marketplaces run by the federal government, as the plaintiffs in King v. Burwell want, more than 13 million Americans in 37 states may lose their access to health insurance. CHLPI helped submit a friend of the court brief to the Supreme Court detailing the potential impact on people living with HIV and other chronic illnesses, and we will continue to closely monitor the case’s outcome.

A partner organization of CHLPI, Families USA launched a social media campaign, interactive video, and action center using the popular hashtag: #DontTakeMyCare. At the core of the campaign is a socially driven, interactive video that features deeply personal stories of people from across the country who are at risk of losing their subsidies, as well as a social media action center where supporters share and participate in a social conversation.  See the campaign in action.

Read more about the CHLPI King Amicus Brief about these issues filed in the U.S. Supreme Court.