WLOS — The Affordable Care Act is designed to ensure access to quality, affordable health insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, just one week after Election Day, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the court's third major case over the 10-year-old law.
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If the Supreme Court were to strike down the ACA, an estimated 21 million Americans could lose their health insurance. Protections for around 54 million people with pre-existing conditions could also go away.
As of Tuesday evening, the Associated Press wrote it seemed likely that the court would leave the bulk of the Affordable Care Act in place.
The National Nurses United union released a statement on Tuesday - saying: “We cannot go backward on health care. This is especially true given the Covid-19 pandemic, which has not only killed more than 235,000 people in the United States—but also infected more than 10 million, with new infection numbers rising every day.”
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In North Carolina, over half a million people are currently enrolled in the ACA, making it the third highest state for enrollees.
For that reason, Jaclyn Kiger, the COO of Pisgah Legal Services, is urging anyone who needs assistance to apply before the end of this year so that they are covered for 2021.
“At this point, based on what we know, we believe that the health insurance plans are contracts for 2021 that would be valid for that entire calendar year,” Kiger said.
The deadline for open enrollment is Dec. 15. Click here for more information on how to enroll.
Appointments with Pisgah Legal Services can also be made online or by calling 828-210-3404. Because of COVID-19, all appointments at Pisgah Legal are being conducted by phone.