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Reporter: Claire Doan

TUCSON (KGUN9-TV): The U.S. Supreme Court largely upheld the Affordable Care Act on Thursday, ruling that it is constitutional to require every American to buy health insurance, under the Taxing Power of the Federal Government.

In a 5-4 ruling, the court voted that if Americans don’t buy health insurance they can be taxed more than people who do have health care. The decision means the historic overhaul will continue to take effect over the next several years.
       
The Supreme Court also ruled on the law's expansion of Medicaid, saying it could proceed as long as the federal government does not threaten to withhold the entire Medicaid allotment to states if they don't take part in the extension.

9 On Your Side asked Tucsonans what they think about the landmark ruling. Here is what some think:

-    Reyna Ortiz, an unemployed mother whose family is going through foreclosure, believes the government should do more: “There’s been times when we have no insurance and we have to run to Mexico and get health care out there … I would say the government should at least give some kind of insurance that’s inexpesive and affordable for families like us.”

-    Curt Stubbs also supports the ruling. He suffers from diabetes and said he often relies on the emergency room for care because he can’t afford preventative doctor visits: “Everybody needs health care and it’s getting so expensive these days, nobody can afford it. Eventually, people without some form of insurance go the emergency room and the bill comes down to the taxpayer anyway.”

-    Pepper Pro welcomed the decision: “It’s wonderful to wake up and find out that the President is getting the respect he’s due with something that impacts so many people in the United States and is so misunderstood, because of so much vitriol on the other side of the aisle.”

-    Ed Worthy said the ruling takes away from what is so wonderful about America: “I don’t think it should be mandatory to pay insurance for health. I think we need free choice of what we want to do. I think we should have the freedom.”
 
-    Jim Flores said the taxpayers will end up paying for a program which they don’t fully understand: “Unfortunately, we’re just relying on the goodwill of those jokesters up there [in Washington, DC] and it’s going to be a fiasco … Any other country that’s ever done this, their tax rates are over 50% and they always look back and say, ‘how do we get out of this.’”