The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania (LWVPA) is pleased that the Supreme Court has ruled in the King v. Burwell case that the intent of the framers of the Affordable Care Act was to include subsidies for eligible recipients in all Health Insurance Marketplaces no matter if it is run by the state or federally facilitated for the state.

"The League of Women Voters supports quality, affordable health care for all US residents," said Susan Carty, President of LWVPA. "We should all have access to a basic level of care, including disease prevention, primary care (including prenatal and reproductive health), acute long-term care, and mental health care. The Affordable Care Act is the closest the nation has come to achieving that goal."

Since its passage, the ACA has dramatically cut the uninsured rate, giving millions of Americans access to health insurance - many for the first time. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that 81% of the 472,697 PA enrollees qualified to receive premium subsidies to purchase coverage during the 2014-2015 enrollment period. Pennsylvania was among the 27-states for which the federal government has established and is running the state's Health Insurance Marketplace and was at major risk if the Supreme Court had sided with the plaintiffs.

"Thanks to today's Supreme Court decision in the King v. Burwell case, low to moderate income working families between 100%-400% of the federal poverty level who rely on the Affordable Care Act subsidies in the Marketplace are breathing a sigh of relief. We are thrilled that they can continue to get the health care they need and are protected from financial ruin when they get sick," said Ms. Carty.

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The League of Women Voters is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates or support political parties. They do take positions after careful study of the issues.