Attorney General Josh Stein Appeals ACA Ruling to Protect Healthcare for North Carolinians

Raleigh, NC – Attorney General Josh Stein today (Jan. 3) filed a notice of appeal in Texas v. United States to protect the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for the thousands of North Carolinians who rely on it.

“The Affordable Care Act not only gives more than 500,000 North Carolinians access to health insurance, it also protects millions of people with pre-existing conditions and helps millions of seniors save on prescription drugs,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “My fight to uphold this law and protect people’s health continues.”

On Dec. 14, 2018, a United States district court in Texas ruled that the ACA was unconstitutional. Attorney General Stein, along with 16 other attorneys general, filed a motion to continue the legal defense of the ACA and asked the court to grant an immediate stay requiring the federal government, states, and all entities to continue enforcing and implementing the law. On Dec. 30, 2018, the district court granted the request to certify the judgement for appeal and to stay a judgment pending the appeal. Today’s (Jan. 3) filing moves the legal defense of the ACA to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, where the attorneys general will appeal the lower court’s ruling that the ACA is unconstitutional. While the appeals court considers the case, the ACA will continue. 

Between 2010 and 2015, more than 550,000 North Carolinians gained health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act, and another 70,000 people were able to stay covered on their parents’ insurance. Nearly 5 million North Carolinians benefit from protections against discrimination against pre-existing conditions. Approximately 1.8 million seniors in North Carolina save more than $1,000 a year on drug prices as a result of the ACA.

Attorney General Stein is joined in filing today’s motion by the Attorneys General of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

A copy of the appeal can be found here.