AG Maura Healey joins coalition to appeal ruling on Affordable Care Act

BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey today joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general in filing a notice of appeal in Texas v. U.S. to defend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the health care of millions of Americans.

“This ruling is misguided, dangerous, and will wreak havoc on the American health care system,” said AG Healey. “I am joining my colleagues across the country today in challenging this decision to protect millions of families from losing their access to critical health care services.”

The notice, filed today in federal court, will appeal the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas’s December 14 ruling that the ACA is unconstitutional. On December 18, the attorneys general filed an expedited motion to ensure that the ACA continues to be enforced nationwide and allow an immediate appeal. The District Court granted that notice to certify the judgment for appeal and to stay the judgment pending that appeal. Today’s filing continues the coalition’s legal defense of the ACA with a notice to appeal the district court’s December 14 opinion to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

In April, AG Healey joined a coalition of attorneys general in filing a motion to intervene in the lawsuit to protect the ACA, arguing that it endangers health care coverage and funding for all Americans, particularly more vulnerable groups like seniors, children, and people with chronic medical conditions or disabilities.

The coalition of attorneys general will continue to defend the law against the ruling, which could affect nearly every American, including:

• 133 million Americans with preexisting health conditions.
• Young adults under 26 years of age who are covered under a parent’s health care plan.
• Nearly 12 million Americans who received coverage through the ACA’s Medicaid expansion.
• 12 million seniors who receive a Medicare benefit to pay for prescription drugs.
• Working families who rely on tax credits and employer-sponsored plans to pay for insurance.

Today’s filing, led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, includes the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.