Despite expectations that a ruling would come on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued no decision in the awaited King v. Burwell case that could decide the fate of President Obama’s signature healthcare law.
The Justices may issue additional opinions on Thursday, according to SCOTUSblog, which tracks the court’s opinions.
A decision was originally expected by the end of June.
[Also: How 'established by the state' is dividing the Supreme Court in King v. Burwell]
The case brought by Virginia resident David King and other plaintiffs claims language in the Affordable Care Act allows only for tax subsidies in states that have set up their own exchanges. A ruling against Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell would mean that more than six million residents in the 34 states with federal exchanges would lose their tax subsidies and likely drop their insurance.
Three states with state subsidies, Delaware, Arkansas and Pennsylvania, have requested and received conditional approval to establish state-based marketplaces.
Repealing the federal health law would add an additional 19 million to the ranks of the uninsured in 2016 and increase the federal deficit over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office in a report by Kaiser Health News.
Twitter: @SusanMorseHFN