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United States Supreme Court


National Federation of Independent Businesses v. Sebelius, 11-363

In a suit challenging the constitutionality of the individual mandate and the Medicaid expansion provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Eleventh Circuit's decision that the Medicaid expansion is a valid exercise of Congress's spending power, but that Congress lacks authority to enact the individual mandate, is affirmed in part and reversed in part where: 1) the individual mandate is not a valid exercise of Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause and the Necessary and Proper Clause; 2) the individual mandate must be construed as imposing a tax on those who do not have health insurance; 3) the individual mandate may be upheld as within Congress's power under the Taxing Clause; and 4) the Medicaid expansion violates the Constitution by threatening states with the loss of their existing Medicaid funding if they decline to comply with the expansion.

Appellate Information

  • Decided 06/28/2012
  • Published 06/28/2012

Judges

  • ROBERTS

Court

  • United States Supreme Court

Counsel

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