Employers everywhere will surely be keeping an eye on what impact this ruling has on the future of the healthcare reform law.
Virginia federal judge Henry Hudson struck down the reform law’s “individual mandate,” which will require Americans to get health insurance by 2014.
The U.S. Justice Department said it will appeal this ruling, and a legal battle in the Supreme Court will likely be waged before the 2012 Presidential Election.
However, this ruling is notable because it contradicts two other federal court rulings that deemed the mandate constitutional. But this case is the first in which a judge made a decision on the constitutionality of the mandate at the prompting of the state. The previous two cases were brought on by individual parties.
In addition, Virginia already has a law on the books which says residents cannot be forced to purchase health insurance.
We’ll keep you posted on this story unfolds.