US Supreme CourtWIKIMEDIA COMMONS, ©JAREK TUSZYNSKI
In an historic moment, the US Supreme Court voted 5-4 yesterday (June 28) to uphold President Barack Obama's health care reform law—colloquially known as the Affordable Care Act—by declaring the law's so-called "individual mandate," which levies a tax or fine if individual citizens fail to carry health insurance, constitutionally valid. Though it is the general public that will feel the main impact of the health care law, the legislation also includes key provisions, protected by today's ruling, that benefit biomedical research.
"With this ruling, what we have is the turning of a page and a new chapter," said Mary Wooley, CEO of science advocacy group Research!America. "It is time to be talking about research and innovation as a major driver in health care."
The key ...
