What Is the Timeline and 2012 Status of Health Care Reform?

Question: What Is the Timeline and 2012 Status of Health Care Reform?

Health care reform, as enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has followed a long and winding road. Follow the twists and turns from the most recent lawsuits against it, through the different bills proposed by the House and Senate in 2009, back to Obama's original campaign trail in 2008.

Answer: March 28, 2012 - The Supreme Court is on its third day of hearings on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. They won't render their final decision until the end of June. At issue is whether the Act's mandate that people either have insurance, or pay a fine, violates the Constitution. On Day Three, the justices considered whether the entire Act could stand if this statute is struck down. On Day Two, the justices questioned whether the Federal government had the right to compel people to buy health insurance from a private company. On Day One, the justices argued whether they had the authority to review the Act at this time, or should they wait until someone paid the penalty in 2014.

September 2011 - The Justice Department petitioned the Supreme Court to decide whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is constitutional. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the mandate did not fall within Congress' power to regulate interstate commerce, but that the rest of the Act is fine. Two other federal courts of appeal, the Sixth Circuit and the Fourth Circuit, have ruled that the Act is constitutional.

January 2011 - The House voted to repeal the law. This was largely symbolic, since the Senate rejected the repeal. However, 22% of Americans thought the act had been repealed, anyway.

June 17, 2010 - Federal regulations allowed some health plans that were in existence on March 23, 2010 to be "grandfathered in." This meant they were exempt from some provisions in the Affordable Care Act.

March 30, 2010 - President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (H.R. 4872), making health care reform the law of the land.

March 25, 2010 - The Senate passed the Affordable Care Act.

March 23, 2010 - Obama signed the Senate Health Care Reform Bill (H.R.3590) into law.

March 22, 2010 - The House of Representatives passed the Reconciliation Act, which amended the Senate Health Care Reform Bill by including elements of the health care plan put forth by President Obama on February 22.

February 22, 2010 - Obama launched a new health care plan that combined the best elements of the Senate and the 2009 House health care reform bills. Obama 2010 Health Care Reform proposal regulated the health insurance industry under a seven-member Health Insurance Rate Authority that could deny or limit substantial premium increases. This was traditionally a state responsibility. Like the Senate Bill, it created an exchange that allowed families and small businesses to shop for insurance plans. It also kept restrictions on federal funding for abortion, but cuts back taxes on the high end health plans.

January 28, 2010 - Obama supported health care reform in the 2010 State of the Union Address.

January 27, 2010 - House Democrats protested the excise tax on high value insurance plans in the Senate plan, which adversely affected union households. However, this created a $300 billion deficit over 10 years. The other option was to create a smaller health care reform bill with the best features of both the Senate and House plans.

January 26, 2010 - Republican Scott Brown won the key Democratic seat in Massachusetts, destroying the Democrats’ filibuster-proof 60-vote majority in the Senate. Many thought this ended hopes of passing any health care reform bill at all.

December 24, 2009 - The Senate passed 2009 Senate Health Care Reform Bill. Its programs would cost $871 billion over 10 years. However, it would actually lower the budget deficit by $132 billion during that same time period by increasing taxes on health care providers. It offered subsidies to families and small businesses to shop for insurance on an exchange. It fined companies for not providing insurance, but gave them a tax break for small businesses if they simply couldn't afford to offer health insurance to their employees. For more details, see 2009 Senate Health Care Reform Bill.

November 8, 2009 - The House of Representatives passed the 2009 House Health Care Reform Bill. Its programs would cost $894 billion over 10 years. However, it proposed a surtax on high income earners thereby reducing the deficit by $104 billion. Like Obama's 2009 bill, the House bill proposed a government-run health insurance program, known as the public option. It offered direct subsidies to uninsured people to help them buy insurance through exchanges. For more details, see 2009 House Health Care Reform Bill.

January 2009 - Soon after Obama was elected, he announced the Health Care for America Plan. The most controversial element was known as the "public option," which was a government-run program like Medicare -- only it would not be restricted by age. This was a critical way to reduce health care costs by 1.5% per year, since the federal government had the ability to bargain for lower prices and reduce inefficiencies. However, opponents said it was socialized medicine, and took power away from the states and from individuals. For more detail, see Obama's 2009 Health Care Reform Plan. (Updated March 29, 2012)

For more detailed status reports of health care reform, see The New York Times, Health Care Reform and the Supreme Court and CBS News Health Care Reform Special Report.