The appeal, from a conservative legal group in California over the law’s mandate to buy health insurance, was unusual because the plaintiffs wanted the high court to hear their case before the lower appeals court rules on it. In August, a San Diego federal judge ruled the plaintiffs couldn’t bring their lawsuit at this time.
Both Justices Elena Kagan and Clarence Thomas participated in the court’s decision, even though they had possible reasons to recuse themselves. Justice Kagan was the Obama administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer when the law was enacted in March, but she has said she never worked on the law. Justice Thomas’s wife has been an outspoken opponent of the law.
Monday’s case was one of the less prominent challenges to the law. A challenge by 20 states is proceeding in the lower courts. Many of the lawsuits focus on the insurance mandate, which doesn’t go into effect until 2014.
Read the Wall Street Journal report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage of lawsuits involving the healthcare reform law:
– Judge Shows Sympathy With Lawsuit Challenging Entire Reform Law, Expects to Rule by End of Year
– Judge Upholds Mandate to Buy Health Insurance
– Federal Judge Clears Way for Challenge to Reform Law, Focusing on Coverage Mandate
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