The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was a flawed piece of legislation that has caused troubling uncertainty for American employers
Beginning in 2014, the law will require all plans in the small group and individual markets to cover all items and services contained in the Essential Health Benefits Package (EHBP), as determined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
All plans (including those in the large group market) will be prohibited from imposing dollar limits on lifetime benefits and annual dollar limits for “essential benefits” are being phased out by 2014.
The passage of PPACA was dangerous to begin with — but the actual implementation of the 2,000 -plus page law is a process that threatens to make it even worse.
PPACA A.K.A. Obamacare
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is one part of the controversial healthcare bill passed by the Democrat-controlled Congress and signed by President Obama, and is commonly known as Obamacare. Obamacare’s constitutionality is being challenged in several lawsuits. Judicial Watch has been closely following these lawsuits and has been aggressively pursuing other avenues of investigation and litigation to fully expose and combat this unprecedented expansion of the government’s powers.
Our primary areas of investigation include: the criteria used by the Obama administration to provide “waivers” to companies and unions exempting them from provisions of Obamacare; the Obama administration’s decision to evaluate medical treatments based solely on cost; “death panels”; and the regulation and funding of Obamacare in general. For more information, please take a look at a full list of our Obamacare-related Freedom of Information Act requests and results.
Our primary areas of investigation include: the criteria used by the Obama administration to provide “waivers” to companies and unions exempting them from provisions of Obamacare; the Obama administration’s decision to evaluate medical treatments based solely on cost; “death panels”; and the regulation and funding of Obamacare in general. For more information, please take a look at a full list of our Obamacare-related Freedom of Information Act requests and results.
The Unconstitutionality of the "Individual Mandate"
On May 11, 2010, Judicial Watch hosted an educational panel featuring Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Georgetown Professor of Law Randy Barnett, to discuss the constitutionality of the healthcare bill. You can view that panel on YouTube.
Judicial Watch Lawsuits
- Judicial Watch v. US Department of Health & Human Services (No. 10-2328) - Obamacare waivers
- Judicial Watch v. Department of Health & Human Services (No. 11-002) - documents regarding Medicare review of Provenge
- Judicial Watch v. Department of Justice (No. 11-426) - documents regarding then-Solicitor General Elena Kagan's role in drafting "Obamacare"
- Judicial Watch v. Department of Justice (No. 11-608) - documents regarding the HHS Obamacare advertising campaign
Press Releases
- Judicial Watch Obtains Obamacare Records from Department of Health and Human Services - September 8, 2011
- Judicial Watch Uncovers New Documents: Obama Administration Bankrolls Massive Internet Propaganda Campaign to Push Obamacare - August 18, 2011
- Judicial Watch Files Amicus Curiae Brief Challenging Constitutionality of Obamacare - May 24, 2011
- Judicial Watch Obtains HHS Records Detailing Taxpayer-Funded Obamacare Propaganda Campaign - April 12, 2011
- Judicial Watch Obtains Records Detailing Medicare/Medicaid Controversial Review of Cancer Treatment Provenge - March 30, 2011
- Judicial Watch Sues Obama HHS for Records Related to Obamacare Propaganda Campaign - March 24, 2011
- JW Sues Health and Human Services to Obtain Documents Regarding Medicare/Medicaid Review of Cancer Treatment Provenge - January 5, 2011
- Judicial Watch Sues Health and Human Services to Obtain Documents Regarding Obamacare Waivers - January 4, 2011
- Judicial Watch Obtains Documents from Obama Administration Detailing Actor Andy Griffith’s “Misleading” Medicare Advertisements - December 1, 2010
- Judicial Watch Obtains New Documents Related to Closed-Door Obamacare Meetings - August 25, 2010
Documents Uncovered
- Waiver documents Part 1
- Waiver documents Part 2
- Waiver documents Part 3
- Waiver documents Part 4
- Fourth document production (2300 pages, ~250MB) - August 5, 2011
- HHS propaganda campaign documents - April 2011
- Provenge documents
- First release - February 2, 2011
- Second release - February 24, 2011
- Third release - March 23, 2011
- Andy Griffith ad campaign documents - October 2010
Weekly Update articles
- Obamacare Moratorium? - February 4, 2011
- Welcome to Obamacare Rationing - January 14, 2011
- Judicial Watch Sues HHS to Obtain Documents Regarding Obamacare Waivers - January 7, 2011
- JW Exposes Obamacare Propaganda - December 3, 2010
- Florida Court Slams Obamacare - October 22, 2010
- Judicial Watch Uncovers Key Documents Detailing Secret Obamacare Meetings - August 20, 2010
- Questions Abound on Eve of Kagan Vote - July 16, 2010
- Obama Installs Health Czar Who Favors Government “Rationing” - July 9, 2010
- Is Obamacare Constitutional? - May 7, 2010
- IRS to Target Tax Refunds for Health Insurance Penalties - April 9, 2010
Corruption Chronicles blog posts
- Obamacare Defense Initiative Secretly Funded
- Obamacare Waivers Go To Allies
- Voters Oust Obamacare Supporters
- $700k To Promote Obamacare
- States Offer Federally Funded Abortions Under Obamacare
- Desperate Harry Plays Race Card
- Govt. Threatens Obamacare Opponents
Florida v. US
In one of the key lawsuits brought against Obamacare, Judge Robert Vinson ruled the entirety of the legislation to be unconstitutional because of the unprecedented expansion of government powers through the requirement for all individuals to purchase healthcare (usually referred to as the healthcare mandate.)
- Judge Vinson's Declaratory Judgment in Florida v. US - January 31, 2011
- Judge Vinson's Summary Judgment in Florida v. US - January 31, 2011
Virginia v. Sebelius
One of the first lawsuits brought against Obamacare, this case also saw the individual mandate portion of the legislation ruled unconstitutional by Judge Henry Hudson, a US District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia. However, the rest of the legislation was not affected by the judge's ruling.
- Judge Hudson's Memorandum Opinion in Virginia v. Sebelius - December 13, 2010
