Since our blog post early this morning, “Health Care Reform: Waiting for the Court’s Decision,” we got the answer we were eagerly anticipating.  The Supreme Court has finally spoken on health care reform, and has upheld most of the law. 

The Court did take issue with the provision that coerces the states to accept the expansion to Medicaid.  The threat to comply or to give up all Medicaid funding entirely was deemed too aggressive to represent a real choice to the states.

Stay tuned for more details on the decision

The Supreme Court’s decision is highly detailed and will impact the way businesses should continue to plan for implementation of the law.  The ruling and the flurry of reactions to it make it evident that the country is divided on this issue, so we expect the debate to continue into the fall presidential election.  

We’re holding a webinar July 19^th (both a morning and an afternoon session) to cover how the decision impacts employers and their employee benefit strategies, as well as what actions you need to take.

We’ve got our compliance attorney Renee Kuhs hard at work reviewing the 110-page decision.  Check out her health care reform “control center” below – she’s plugged into every major news outlet as she scrutinizes the wording of the ruling.

Don’t jump the gun just yet

This is big news – for employers, insurance companies, doctors, politicians, and basically anyone with a stake in health care.  We need to get a better understanding of the details of the ruling before reacting and continuing to chart a course of action.

CNN and Fox News made this mistake this morning when they falsely reported the individual mandate was struck down [it wasn’t.]  One senatorial candidate in Indiana went so far as to record four separate videos, each ready to post when the ruling was released...but then posted them all to YouTube accidentally. [watch them here.] 

While it’s tempting to react quickly, carefully plan your company’s response and how you will communicate details to employees.  Sign up for our webinar on July 19th (two sessions at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. CST) for more information and tips on how to prepare.