Will Supreme Court Hear Another Health Law Challenge?
As the court begins its new term, the justices will be asked to consider another challenge to the Affordable Care Act about whether individuals can qualify for federal subsidies if they live in a state with a federal, rather than a state-run, insurance marketplace.
The New York Times: Supreme Court’s Robust New Session Could Define Legacy Of Chief Justice
The Supreme Court on Monday returns to work to face a rich and varied docket ... In the coming weeks, the justices will most likely agree to decide whether there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, a question they ducked in 2013. They will also soon consider whether to hear a fresh and potent challenge to the Affordable Care Act, which barely survived its last encounter with the court in 2012 (Liptak, 10/4).
The Washington Post: As Supreme Court Term Begins, Prospect Of A Gay-Marriage Ruling Looms Large
There is a chance that the court will accept one of the new challenges to the Affordable Care Act, this time about federal subsidies for those who bought insurance on an exchange that was not set up by a state. Both sides agree the subsidies are crucial to making Obamacare work (Barnes, 10/4).
NPR: Supreme Court To Weigh Facebook Threats, Religious Freedom, Discrimination
Anti-abortion and women's rights groups have joined together to urge the Court to require employers to treat pregnancy the same way other temporary disabilities are treated on the job. In this case, a UPS driver asked for light duty, carrying less than 20 pounds, during the latter part of her pregnancy. But the company refused, and she lost both her job and her insurance coverage. The company contends that it had "no animus" towards the employee because of her pregnancy; her request for light duty just wasn't covered by either the provisions of federal disability law or the union contract. She argues that she should have been covered under the 1978 federal law barring discrimination based on pregnancy (Totenberg, 10/6).
