Va. Sues Over Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The state of Virginia filed a federal lawsuit today, charging that if Virginia citizens and residents decide not to buy health insurance, then they can't be subject to the new federal health care and insurance law — the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) — because they are not not engaging in interstate commerce.

Why did Virginia file its own federal health care lawsuit instead of joining the multi-state lawsuit filed by thirteen (13) other states challenging PPACA?

Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cucinelli, II says that his state is different because it:

is the only state so far to pass a law protecting its citizens from a government-imposed mandate to buy health insurance.

Related Resources

• • Virginia Attorney General to file suit against federal government over passage of health care bill, Va. Attorney General (Mar. 23, 2010)
  • Virginia Takes US Healthcare Dispute to Court, Reuters (Mar. 23, 2010)
  • U.S. Constitution,, FindLaw