Supreme Court To Hear Challenge To Health Care Subsidies

Published March 3, 2015 at 1:40 PM EST

Oral arguments begin tomorrow in a closely watched Supreme Court case that could dismantle the Affordable Care Act and eliminate health insurance for more than eight million Americans.

The case centers on one phrase in the law – “established by the State.”

The four plaintiffs in King V. Burwell, funded by conservative groups including Competitive Enterprise Institute, argue that “the State” refers solely to the 16 states that have set up their own exchanges, not the federal government, which established exchanges in 34 states.

The government argues that tax subsidies should be available to people who purchase insurance on both state and federal exchanges.

Emily Bazelon, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and a senior research fellow at Yale Law School, tells Here & Now’s Robin Young about what the justices will look at and what the loss of subsidies might mean for Americans who get their health insurance in states with federal exchanges.

Guest

Emily Bazelon, staff writer for the New York Times Magazine and a senior research fellow at Yale Law School. She tweets @emilybazelon.