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Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29

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Coverage for most Americans, a scramble for states

photo A woman holds a sign during a rally at Daley Plaza in Chicago on Thursday. In a dramatic victory for President Barack Obama, the Supreme Court upheld the 2010 health care law Thursday, preserving Obama’s landmark legislative achievement.

RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

Associated Press

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul is on the way to its ultimate jury: the families, doctors, business people and state officials who’ll have to grapple with the confusing details while striving to fulfill its promise.

With the Supreme Court hurdle cleared, open enrollment for millions now uninsured is scheduled to begin in just 16 months, in October 2013. Much of the health care industry is ready. People who do have insurance won’t have to worry about the loss of popular new benefits, such as coverage for young adult children or improvements to Medicare’s prescription plan.

And, starting in 2014, insurance companies will no longer be able to turn away people with a history of medical problems, or charge them more.