The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to render an opinion tomorrow on the Affordable Care Act, the federal health care reform bill.
The law was enacted in March 2010. In 2011, 26 states challenged the constitutionality of the law’s mandate for all U.S. citizens to purchase health insurance.
The biggest question with the decision is how much it actually matters to physicians, David M. Glaser, JD, Orthopedics Today Editorial Board member said.
“I know many orthopedists feel like the PPACA [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] is a disaster for them because they notice declining reimbursements, difficulty recruiting and other systemic changes in the health care system,” he said. “Those changes are real, but most of them predate PPACA and I think they will continue even if PPACA is overturned. I believe any physician who thinks a reversal of PPACA is likely to improve their job satisfaction will be disappointed.”
Orthopedics Today will report and analyze the Supreme Court’s decision tomorrow.