In June, the Supreme Court upheld most of the Obama administration's 2010 health care law, allowing the government to fine people who decline to buy medical insurance. But the court barred cutting off Medicaid funds for states that refuse to participate in a new program expanding health care for the poor. Some Republican governors have balked at the expanded coverage, undermining the administration's goal of adding 30 million people to the health insurance rolls. Meanwhile, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, along with many congressional Republicans, vows to repeal the entire Affordable Care Act, arguing it is too costly and abridges individual freedoms. The law's supporters, however, say its benefits already are evident, as children with pre-existing illnesses can no longer lose coverage and young adults can enroll in their parents' health plans.

Marcia Clemmitt is a veteran social-policy reporter who joined CQ Researcher after serving as editor in chief of Medicine and Health, a Washington-based industry newsletter, and staff writer for The Scientist. She has also been a high school math and physics teacher. She holds a bachelor's degree in arts and sciences from St. Johns College, Annapolis, and a masters degree in English from Georgetown University.