Healthcare reform law

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The US appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, that voided 2 conflicting lower-court decisions yesterday on the healthcare reform law was silent on the power of Congress to require individuals to obtain insurance coverage or else pay a penalty.

However, the 2 appellate decisions did address other prerogatives of government, especially the federal government. The appeals court reaffirmed that a state cannot pass a law to nullify a federal law, and that federal taxes cannot be challenged in court before they are collected. Otherwise, chaos could ensue, the court warned.

The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth District in Richmond vacated a ruling by US District Court Judge Henry Hudson, also in Richmond, that struck down the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as unconstitutional because it “would invite unbridled exercise of federal police powers.” The 3-judge appellate panel said the plaintiff in the case — the state of Virginia — had no legal standing to contest the law.

Ref and Read more: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/749437?sssdmh=dm1.717798&src=nldne

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