Health Care Ruling

On Thursday, June 28, 2012, the United States Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, identifying the mandate to purchase health care insurance valid as a new tax on Americans. Senator Murkowski believes that the Supreme Court finding this $2.6 trillion health care overhaul constitutional under Congress’ power to tax further permits governmental overreach into our health care and other choices. Like many Alaskans, Senator Murkowski finds the decision of the Supreme Court troubling, especially since the president pledged not to raise taxes on middle-income Americans, yet the foundation of this 900 page law is a new tax called the individual mandate. If there is one thing Alaskans agree on, it is that they don't like new taxes.

Senator Murkowski will continue to work with her colleagues to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act and responsibly address health care in a timely fashion.  She believes we need real health care reform that will improve Alaskans’ access to care, reduce costs by allowing individuals to purchase health insurance across state lines, reform medical liability so we can limit the practice of defensive medicine, and restructure the delivery system of health care to make it more affordable and accessible.

In addition to requiring every American to purchase health insurance or pay a new tax beginning in 2013, the Affordable Care Act’s includes other significant tax hikes, such as:

  • a 40 percent tax on any insurance benefit if its cost exceeds $10,200 for an individual or $27,500 for a family,
  • a 3.8 percent investment tax, which experts believe will apply to interest, capital gains and dividends, rents, royalties, the taxable portion of annuity payments, and income from the sale of a home,
  • a .09 percent increase in Medicare payroll taxes, and
  • a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices such as dental implants and pacemakers – which Senator Murkowski has joined 29 Senators to repeal (S.17)

Senator Murkowski opposed the Affordable Care Act when it was enacted, she has voted to repeal the law, and she has cosponsored a number of bills to repeal the law or components of it, including:

  • S. 20 - The American Jobs Protection Act
  • S. 192 - Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act
  • S. 281 - The Save Our States Act
  • S. 1880 - The Jobs and Premium Protection Act
  • S. 17 – The Medical Device Access and Innovation Protection Act
  • The Prevention Fund Integrity Act, prohibiting federal funds from being used to advertise the Affordable Care Act.


(click picture above to watch a video of Sen. Murkowski's reaction to the ruling)