ON FRIDAY, June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) aka “Obamacare.” The act, signed into law in 2010 by President Barack Obama, seeks to ensure every U.S. citizen has access to health care.

The government of Guam has been behind in complying with the PPACA mandate to establish a health insurance exchange, due in part to the uncertainty in how the Supreme Court would rule. Sen. Dennis Rodriguez Jr. is expecting compliance now that an official decision has been made.

“PPACA has been long-awaited and is sorely needed. President Obama’s forward-thinking approach to healthcare reform is a landmark effort that will now go a long way toward expanding access to affordable health care, thanks to this decision,” the senator stated.

“I am pleased that the court has upheld this law and its intent – to provide access to quality and affordable health insurance and to ensure that health care would be a right, not a privilege, for all. It’s important for individuals to take care of their families, and the Affordable Care Act will enable them to do so,” Guam Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo remarked.

Guam Medicaid programs have benefited from the PPACA as $6.3 billion in additional funding has been allotted for the territories from Fiscal Years 2011 through 2019, and increased the territories’ Federal Medical Assistance Percentage from 50 to 55 percent. As a result, Guam received an additional $268.3 million in Medicaid funding for incremental distributions from FY2011 to FY2019. These additional funds have effectively removed Guam’s Medicaid cap.

Individual and employee mandates required by the new law may also take effect on Guam. These mandates require individuals and employers with more than 50 employees to have health coverage. If they do not, they must pay fines.

“To offset the significant costs of these mandates, it only makes sense to require individuals and employers to purchase health insurance coverage,” stated Jerry Crisostomo, plan administrator of NetCare.

However, this requirement or mandate to purchase health insurance should not be disruptive or come as a shock to Guam employers since a significant majority of employers already provide health insurance coverage to their employees, Crisostomo emphasized.

Citizens who are further interested in the PPACA and its effects on Guam are invited to a public hearing hosted by Sen. Rodriguez on Tuesday, July 2 at the Legislature’s public hearing room.