A joint message from
CCHS Logo
No Immediate Impact on Health Care Coverage Following Texas Court Ruling on Affordable Care Act
To Our Community Partners:

In light of the federal ruling this past Friday related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department (EHSD) and Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) want to reassure our community that our services continue without interruption.

Federal Ruling
On December 14th, a U.S. District Court judge in Texas ruled that the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
is unconstitutional , in response to a lawsuit that 20 states, led by Texas, filed earlier this year.

However, the judge did not grant a request to immediately implement his decision. This means
the current law is still in place, while the legal process continues. In Washington, both the White House and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) immediately released statements confirming that there are no changes to the law pending the appeals process.
___________________________

“...there is no impact to current coverage or coverage in a 2019 plan.”
~ Seema Verma, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
__________________________
Appeals Process
On Friday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra immediately announced that the state and other ACA supporters would appeal the Texas ruling. It is likely that the appeals process, which could go as far as the U.S. Supreme Court, will take many months, if not more than a year to complete.
Health Coverage in Contra Costa County
In Contra Costa County, ACA enabled 70,000 residents to obtain health coverage through expanded Medi-Cal. Working individuals and members of working families make up a significant part of this population, with some receiving health coverage for the first time.

We encourage you to reassure your patients and clients that they can still obtain coverage through the ACA and Medi-Cal expansion for 2019. Please feel free to use the information in this letter as talking points when communicating with your clients and staff.
EHSD and CCHS continue to provide Contra Costa community members with the services they need, supporting all customers, staff and community partners as we carry out our missions.

We are carefully monitoring developments surrounding the court ruling and will be further evaluating and communicating any potential effects.   
Kathy Gallagher, Director
Employment & Human Services Department
Anna Roth, Director
Contra Costa Health Services
Employment & Human Services partners with the community to deliver quality services to ensure access to resources that support, protect, and empower individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency.
-----
Contra Costa Health Services ' mission is to care for and improve the health of all people in Contra Costa County with special attention to those who are most vulnerable to health problems.