High Court Seems Likely to Leave Health Care Law in Place

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seems likely to leave in place the bulk of the Affordable Care Act, including key protections for pre-existing health conditions and subsidized insurance premiums that affect tens of millions of Americans.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, among the conservative justices, appear unwilling to strike down the entire law -- a long-held Republican goal that has repeatedly failed in Congress and the courts -- even if they were to find the law’s now-toothless mandate for obtaining health insurance to be unconstitutional.

The court’s three liberal justices are almost certain to vote to uphold the law in its entirety.