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Court's Upholding Of Health Law Has Little Impact In Mass.

Here's WBUR's Martha Bebinger, in our Newscast:

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold the federal Affordable Care Act will have little impact in Massachusetts.

The federal law was shaped in large part by the state health coverage law passed in Massachusetts in 2006.

"We've already implemented and are well beyond where other states now look forward to going, so the impact in Massachusetts was less," said Harvard School of Public Health professor John McDonough, who worked on both the state and federal law.

On the other hand, McDonough says, Massachusetts will benefit from increased funding for Medicaid, prevention programs and quality improvement efforts, unless Republicans succeed in their pledge to repeal the federal law.

Update at 2:15 p.m.: More on that Medicaid funding, from WBUR's Martha:

Many Massachusetts State House leaders are breathing a sigh of relief as they review the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling (PDF) on the Affordable Care Act.

Through the law, Massachusetts expects to receive hundreds of millions of additional federal dollars to help cover low- to moderate-income children and adults. So while the high court’s ruling will not force any changes in Massachusetts, the state can, so far, continue to expect that money.

But there’s a big caveat: The main increase in Medicaid funding begins in 2014. If the law is repealed before then, the additional funding will not likely materialize.

This program aired on June 28, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.

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