HHS to Continue Administering, Enforcing All Aspects of ACA

On Dec. 14, a federal judge in Texas ruled the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) unconstitutional because Congress repealed the tax penalty enforcing the law’s individual mandate. Seventeen Democratic attorneys general have asked the judge to confirm that the ACA remains in effect nationwide and allow for a prompt appeal of his decision. The US Department of Health and Human Services this week issued a statement confirming that the agency will continue administering and enforcing all aspects of the Affordable Care Act. In a column published this week in Modern Healthcare, American Hospital Association President and CEO Rick Pollack and Atrium Health CEO Eugene A. Woods, who served as AHA Chairman in 2017, write about the potential ramifications of the federal judge’s recent ruling.