Supreme Court ruling on Affordable Care Act expected Thursday

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to render an opinion Thursday on the Affordable Care Act, the federal health care reform bill.

The law was enacted in March 2010. In 2011, 26 states challenged the constitutionality of the law’s mandate for all U.S. citizens to purchase health insurance.

It is unclear how the decision will affect ophthalmology in the long run, John B. Pinto, OSN Practice Management Section Editor, told Ocular Surgery News.

“It’s been difficult enough to gauge the bottom-line impact on ophthalmologists with the law intact … and all the more difficult to gauge our economic trajectory if the law is edited in some meaningful way,” Pinto said. “No matter the ruling, there will be no material slowing of efforts to contain health care costs after the next presidential election.”

Ocular Surgery News will report and analyze the Supreme Court’s decision Thursday.