Physician group, 14 states sue to overturn health reform law

Add the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) and the state of Indiana to the list of those suing to overturn the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) overturned. Last Friday, AAPS became the first medical society to take such action, with Dr. Janet Orient, director of the group, pointing out that the insurance mandate portion of the new law will create a "dire shortage of physicians" in the U.S. 

"Court action is necessary 'to preserve individual liberty' and "to prevent PPACA from bankrupting the United States generally and Medicare and Social Security specifically," AAPS said in a press release. 

New Jersey Physicians Inc., an advocacy group, filed a similar suit in Newark, N.J., last week, saying that the quality of care would decrease, while healthcare costs would increase. 

Indiana, meanwhile, on Monday joined the 13 other states that filed a lawsuit in Florida to have the measure repealed last week. Another state, Virginia, filed its own suit. Attorney General Greg Zoeller called it his "obligation" to challenge the bill's constitutionality in the face of "unprecedented legal obligations...on state government." 

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray announced Monday that his state would not join in on the lawsuit, saying it would be "a waste of taxpayer resources." By themselves, states would have a hard time addressing the nation's insurance problems, he said, comparing the process to the rejection of the Articles of Confederation more than two centuries ago. 

"This is precisely why our Founding Fathers rejected the anemic Articles of Confederation as inadequate, authorized Congress to legislate matters of interstate commerce, and then made its laws supreme, notwithstanding any state laws to the contrary," Cordray said. "Nobody can seriously argue that the healthcare industry operates only in 'intrastate' commerce." 

To learn more:
- read this AAPS press release
- here's the AAPS complaint
- read this brief about the suit filed by New Jersey Physicians, Inc.
- check out this release about Indiana's decision to join the suit
- here's the Ohio AG's statement about not joining the suit