Today’s ruling is a victory for Americans and especially for those who depend on health centers for affordable and accessible healthcare. Over half (66 percent) of health centers are located in states in which the federal government operates a Health Insurance Exchange. A majority of the health center patients in those states are low-income and rely on the subsidies to maintain their coverage and options to care.

We know that many new patients coming to health centers now hold an insurance card for the first time in their lives. Yet, many of them previously delayed seeking the care they so desperately needed, resulting in complex health conditions that could have been prevented with timely access to care. Today is their day. They can keep their coverage and continue to afford life-saving care, whether at a health center or another healthcare provider. Whether or not they should get their care is no longer a choice they have to make. Their coverage now allows them to choose where to get the care they need, and that is good prescription for our nation’s health.

The Supreme Court ruling affirms what many in the Community Health Center community believe, in both mission and practice: that all people deserve affordable health care AND coverage to ensure good health.