GettyImages-638585844.jpg
HABesen/Getty Images

What's that saying? "Everything is shittier in Texas"?

On Friday, a federal judge in the Lone Star State decided that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. In a case brought to the court by 18 Republican state attorneys general and two conservative governors, Judge Reed O'Connor ruled that because Congress repealed the individual mandate to buy health insurance in 2017, the ACA is now unconstitutional.

Now, this could be a serious problem for people who buy their health insurance from state exchanges as well as those on Medicare and Medicaid. But, according to Seattle University law professor John Kirkwood, there's no reason to panic. Why? There's almost no chance this ruling holds.

"It looks like the ruling is weak and it’s probably not going to be upheld by 5th Circuit, the Court of Appeals, or even the Supreme Court," Kirkwood says. "In the short run, this decision will be stayed pending appeals. In the long run, the appeals will succeed."

On the off chance that O'Connor's decision is upheld, however, up to 20 million Americans could lose their health insurance. While this may have caused previous presidents some measure of concern, the one currently occupying the Oval Office took the ruling, as usual, as a win.



Luckily, the ruling doesn't go into effect immediately and it should be overturned before anyone loses their coverage. And, if we're really #blessed, Donald Trump's rage at 20 million Americans not losing their health coverage will induce a presidential stroke. Here's hoping.