Key Points from the Ruling on the Health Care Repeal Lawsuit (Texas v. United States)

Just before the holidays, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling on the Health Care Repeal Lawsuit (Texas v. United States), moving to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and put millions of people at risk of losing their health insurance, including oral health coverage.

The key points of the ruling are:
·         A federal appeals court ruled that the ACA’s individual mandate provision is unconstitutional
·         The appeals court did not decide what parts of the ACA should stay or go
·         The court sent the case back to the district court level for Judge Reed O’Connor – who has already ruled in favor of invalidating the entire ACA – to reconsider what exact provisions of the ACA should remain intact
This decision will almost certainly be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and we need to respond swiftly to shape the public narrative today, tomorrow, and into the future to protect the progress we have made in oral health.

You can learn more about the decision and its impact on oral and overall health, and spread the word in your networks, using the resources below:
·         View press statements from Community Catalyst and Families USA
·         Use this Community Catalyst template to craft your own rapid response press release
·         Read Community Catalyst’s blog Texas v. (the Oral Health of the) United States
·         See Community Catalyst’s advocacy guide andFamilies USA’s toolkit for messaging/media/social media guidance