DENVER — Although a Texas judge ruled that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, that won’t change insurance coverage in Colorado, state officials said Monday.
A federal district judge in Texas ruled that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, after 20 state attorneys general sued the federal government. Their lawsuit claimed that since Congress ended the law’s mandate to have health insurance, the entire ACA is unconstitutional.
In Colorado, however, state law guarantees health insurance for people suffering from pre-existing conditions, interim Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway said.
“I said it in June when this case first bubbled up, and I’ll say it again: Guaranteed health insurance coverage for people with pre-existing conditions is enshrined in Colorado law,” Conway said. “The Division of Insurance will continue to enforce Colorado law and maintain this important protection for our citizens.
“Coloradans need to know that we aren’t going back to the bad old days of being charged more because you or someone in your family has diabetes or asthma or high blood pressure or any other health condition,” Conway continued.
The ruling in Texas does not end the argument about the Affordable Care Act. The decision will certainly be appealed and the case will likely land in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.
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And while the Trump administration said in June that it will not defend the Affordable Care Act against this latest legal challenge, it did assure the country that the ACA will remain in place during the appeal process.
In Colorado, open enrollment for people who buy individual health insurance plans (not from an employer) continues until Jan. 15. Visit Connect for Health Colorado online at http://www.connectforhealth.com.
Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and rwyrick@vaildaily.com.