On December 18, 2019, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in a 2-1 ruling struck down the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) individual mandate as unconstitutional, but sent a question regarding whether the rest of the ACA can stand without the individual mandate back to a lower court. The ruling means the rest of the ACA remains in place for now, but it creates uncertainty about the law’s future. California Attorney General (AG) Xavier Becerra (D), who is leading Democratic AGs in their effort to defend the ACA in the lawsuit, said he will “move swiftly” to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. (Source: The Hill, 12/18)
