On June 25, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a final ruling in King v. Burwell. This case challenged the availability of health insurance Exchange subsidies in states with Exchanges run by the federal government.
In a 6-3 decision, the Court held that, in drafting the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Congress intended for the federal government to provide subsidies in all states—those that established their own Exchanges and those that have federally facilitated Exchanges, or FFEs.
According to the Supreme Court, without the availability of these subsidies in all states, several other key ACA provisions would not operate as intended (including the individual mandate and the employer shared responsibility rules). The Court’s ruling means that subsidies are available in all states, including those with FFEs.