The Facts on the ACA in Texas

Overview A North Texas judge ruled in December 2018 that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. This ruling is based on the premise that because the tax penalty tied to the individual mandate - the provision of the Act that requires most every individual to carry health insurance or face penalties - was struck down in May of 2018, the rest of the Act is unconstitutional. While the ruling is under appeal, the ACA remains the law of the land. Governor Abbott has stated that Texas will come up with its own healthcare law to replace the ACA and has asked lawmakers to get to work on developing options. This brief provides a quick summary of the ACA and explores what is known currently about how Texas leadership is envisioning replacing and/or modifying the Act. Because no specific plan for healthcare coverage targeting ACA populations (working age low-income adults and individuals and families without access to public or private health insurance) has been put forward other t