Court Rules "Individual Mandate" Unconstitutional
Since it was signed into law on March 23, 2010, citizens, activist groups, political figures, and states across the country have filed lawsuits challenging parts of the Health Care Reform Law. Most eyes have been on the multi-state case filed in Florida, joined by twenty-six (26) states across the country. On August 12, 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued a decision in that case, ruling that the Health Care Reform Law's individual mandate is unconstitutional.
In effect, the Court dismantled the Obama Administration’s argument that health care is somehow different from other economic decisions, stating that the Administration's argument was "…devoid of constitutional substance, incapable of judicial administration – and, consequently, illusory." It also moves the question of whether it is legal to require Americans to purchase health insurance a step closer to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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