CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- The Affordable Care Act appears to have survived another round of challenges, this time in the Supreme Court.
On Tuesday, the Court heard oral arguments in what many expected to signal an end to the ACA, as Trump-appointed Justices, weighed in.
Public Policy expert with the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Dr. John Jackson says it was a "big" surprise when three of the conservative justices, two appointed by the president, indicated they would not strike down the bill.
"And they're going for the concept of what's called 'severability,'" explains Jackson. "The severability argument of it is, you can knock down one clause or one part of the Act, and yet the whole Act doesn't have to be declared unconstitutional.
Jackson says the Trump Administration wanted all of the ACA thrown out. He says an estimated 750,000 people in Illinois were at risk of losing coverage if Trump had succeeded.
Removing the Affordable Health Care Act during a pandemic was also a questionable decision, says Jackson, as those testing positive for COVID-19 would lose that protection for pre-existing health conditions.
President-Elect Joe Biden has said he wants to improve the ACA, Jackson says its survival now affords him that opportunity.
