The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a case that North Carolina's attorney general and many others say could lead to chaos in health insurance markets.
North Carolina is one of about three dozen states that did not set up its own insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act. Now, the Supreme Court is considering whether people from those states are eligible for federal subsidies to bring down their premiums.
It's a question of wording, but it could result in about 515,000 North Carolinians losing money they rely on for health care. If that happens, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper and several others say it would destroy insurance markets – many who had subsidies would drop their coverage, and then insurance companies wouldn't bring in enough money to cover the sickest patients who remain.
The Supreme Court will likely rule on the subsidies in June.