On January 31, a federal judge in Florida ruled that the federal health care reform is unconstitutional in a lawsuit brought by 26 states against the federal government. U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled the entire law unconstitutional after finding the “individual mandate” provision violates the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause. This provision requires most people to purchase health insurance by 2014 or face a penalty.
This is the second ruling by a federal judge against the law’s constitutionality. In December, a Virginia federal judge ruled the individual mandate provision unconstitutional, but stopped short of voiding the entire law. Previously, two other federal courts in Virginia and Michigan upheld the law’s constitutionality, including the individual mandate provision. According to several media reports, the U.S. Justice Department will appeal the decision to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
