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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
President Obama signs "the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (herein PPACA), which is aimed to "ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care and will create the transformation within the health care system necessary to contain costs," according to the Senate Democrats.
[Click for a detailed summary.](dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill04.pdf) -
Florida, et al.v U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, et al., USDC Northern District of Florida
Minutes after Obamacare was signed into law, a case is filed in order to challenge the constitutionality of the act. The main parties are listed:- State Plaintiffs: Attorneys General and Governors of 26 states
- Individual Plaintiffs: 2 private citizens
- Plaintiffs: National Federal of Independent Business
- Defendants: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Dept. of the Treasury, Dept. of Labor and their secretaries
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USDC Summary Judgment (Vinson)
Final Opinion
Hon. Roger Vinson rules in favor of Florida, as the health insurance mandate falls outside federal authority given by the Constitution. Because the provision in section 1501 cannot be severed, the entire PPACA must be struck down. -
Eleventh Circuit Opinion
2-1 decision affirming, in part, and reversing, in part.
A divided three-judge panel rules that the mandate is unconstitutional. However, it reverses the District Court's decision to invalidate the entire Act, as the provision can be severed from the rest of the PPACA. -
SCOTUS Certiorari Granted
The SCOTUS grants certiorari to three cross-appeals of the Eleventh Circuit opinion, with subsequently three cases arising:- States: Florida v. U.S. Dept. HHS
- Federal Government: US Dept. HHS v. Florida
- NFIB: Nat'l Fed. of Independent Bus. v. Sebelius
- The Anti-Injunction Act
- The Commerce Clause & Individual Mandate
- Severability
- The Spending Clause & Medicaid Expansion -
SCOTUS Opinion