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Area members of Congress watch and wait for Supreme Court ruling on Affordable Care Act

Ellen Abbott/WRVO file photo

With a Supreme Court ruling expected in the coming days, the future of the Affordable Care Act is in the hands of the justices. One local lawmaker expects there will be changes to the controversial health care law, one way or the other.

Rep. Richard Hanna (R-Barneveld) says he has no idea which way the court will come down on King v. Burwell. That’s the case that could cripple the law, especially in the 36 states that aren’t subsidizing health care on their own, but letting the federal government do it.  

The Republican Hanna says if justices rule against it, then the GOP has to have a plan to replace it.

"Right now there’s close to ten million people on it. So what do you do? You can’t just, in my opinion, throw them overboard in some way,” said Hanna.

On the other hand, if the court rules that the insurance program is legal in those 36 states, Hanna believes there still needs to be changed.    

“I get calls from businesses, and employers and individuals, middle-income people and high-income people, whose insurance went way up. Doubled or tripled. I also get calls from people who object to the huge deductibles, and then you hear about people who are paying almost nothing,” said Hanna. “So there’s clearly a lot of room for improvement in the existing law.  If the Supreme Court rules the law is okay, there is going to come a point that we have to move together as a country and make it better.” 

Hanna applauded the House for voting last week to repeal the medical device tax, which he says would be an improvement.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on the case by the end of June.

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.