On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court handed down its much anticipated decision on the constitutionality of the health reform law signed into law by President Obama in 2010. In a 5-4 decision, Chief Justice Roberts, who wrote the majority opinion, along with Justices Kagan, Sotomayor, Breyer and Ginsburg, ruled that the minimum coverage requirement, the provision that most Americans must purchase health insurance by 2014 or pay a penalty, is a tax and is thus an appropriate expression of Congress’ power. In a nutshell: health reform IS constitutional.

But what does all this mean for you, and how can you educate your congregation about the law? Below is a sampling of resources to help you understand the law's benefits and create programs for your congregation:

An explanation of the constitutionality of the individual mandate (SCOTUSblog)

An analysis of the Supreme Court ruling (SCOTUSblog)

What does the ruling mean for you? (Washington Post)

Recap of the ruling (Washington Post)

How the Supreme Court justices ruled (New York Times)

Health Care Law Glossary (Washington Post)

What health reform means for faith communities and their leaders (Faithful Reform)

A wealth of resources on the implications of the ruling (Kaiser Family Foundation)

Fact sheets:

• Impact of Health Insurance Reform on Congregations and Rabbis (RAC)
• Reform Jewish Values and Health Care Reform (RAC)
• What Health Care Reform Means for You (RAC)
• Fact Sheet on the Affordable Care Act (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
• Your rights and protections under the ACA (Families USA)

Program ideas:

• Hold a community educational forum
• Host a study session on exploring the connections between Jewish texts and health care
• Invite your state's insurance commissioner to speak
• Invite your U.S. Representative and Senators - or a member of their staff - to speak
• Partner with other local faith groups to organize a rally, lobby day, educational forum or other related event
• Teach your religious school, youth group and/or confirmation students about the law
• Plan a synagogue or interfaith lobby day in support of health care reform by visiting the nearest district offices of your U.S. Senators and/or Representative
• Coordinate a letter-writing campaign to your U.S. Senators and/or Representative (see the RAC's sample letter by typing in your ZIP code here)

Other resources:

• The Kaiser Family Foundation's health reform implementation timeline: This interactive timeline contains short descriptions of each benefit, categorized by topic and year for easy reference.
• Healthcare.gov: The federal government's portal to help consumers understand the new law, research health insurance plans and learn about preventing common health problems.
• Small Business Health Care Tax Credit for Small Employers: The IRS explains this new provision and provides tools to help employers determine whether they are eligible to receive the tax credit.