What Supreme Court's Decision Means For Mass. Health Care Providers

05:26

June 18, 2012

This article is more than 10 years old.

The Supreme Court will decide next week whether or not it is unconstiutional to require people to purchase health insurance. Above, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, right, sits on a panel with Chairman of Partners HealthCare Jack Connors, center, and health care client Mona Rudolph, left, at Faneuil Hall in Boston, Wednesday, April 11, 2012. (AP)

Within the next week or so, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide on the Affordable Care Act: the health care reform bill pushed by President Obama and passed by Congress in 2010. One of the main issues is whether the legislation requiring people to buy health insurance violates the Constitution.

Massachusetts instituted what is known as the "individual mandate" when health insurance reform became law in 2006. That won't change if the high court strikes down the federal law, but the state would be impacted.

As we wait for the decision, the three largest insurers in Massachusetts — Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care — say they plan to keep some parts of the Affordable Care Act, even if the Supreme Court strikes it down.

Guest:

Martha Bebinger, Health Care Reporter for WBUR and contributor to HealthCareSavvy

This segment aired on June 18, 2012.

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