This morning, in 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act. The majority opinion was authored by Chief Justice John Roberts and was joined by Justices Elena Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor. The ruling represents a major victory for public health advocates who worked tirelessly over the past two years in support of the law.

“Today’s historic ruling by the nation’s highest court marks a significant milestone in our national efforts to improve the delivery and financing of health services in the U.S. and to promote health and wellness rather than disease treatment,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), executive director of APHA in a statement released by the Association following the court’s decision.

For additional information about the court’s decision, visit the Supreme Court’s website or SCOTUSblog.

On Thursday, July 5, at 3 p.m. ET, APHA and other health partners will sponsor a webinar with leading health legal experts to discuss the implications of the court’s decision.

For background on key provisions in the ACA, including the Prevention and Public Health Fund, visit APHA’s health reform website. For an overview of the law as well as state-specific fact sheets on how your state is benefiting from the ACA, visit the Healthcare.gov website.

APHA releases prevention fund brief

In June, APHA’s Center for Public Health Policy released a new issue brief: The Prevention and Public Health Fund: A Critical Investment in our Nation’s Physical and Fiscal Health.

Created by the ACA, the Prevention and Public Health Fund is an investment in activities that can help communities improve health outcomes and help the U.S. decrease health care costs. The issue brief summarizes the need for and impact of prevention and public health funding, reviews the design and intentions of the Fund, and provides an update on how the Fund has been implemented and allocated to date.