The Alternate Times

By Morgan Tiergarten

August 31, 2029

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that healthcare is a constitutional right, in a massive loss for the insurance companies and debt collectors who immediately challenged the Universal Healthcare Act of 2029 after its enactment.

“It is anathema to the principles of our Constitution that any person should be rendered bankrupt or bedridden by the simple fact that they cannot afford a commodity that is as precious as any enumerated right,” wrote Chief Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. “And the answer is simple: It is not a commodity.”

U.S. President Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praised the decision, which cemented her 2028 campaign promise of eliminating the for-profit health insurance industry within her first 100 days. With Democrats controlling Congress by a wide margin, she signed the Universal Healthcare Act into law by the end of March.

“No one should become rich because they denied Americans life-saving treatment. Today’s Supreme Court ruling confirms that reality,” she said at a press conference.

In a statement, major health insurance companies condemned the outcome and vowed to continue providing their services elsewhere.

“We remain welcome in the New Confederacy, and unfortunately we will have to raise premiums even more in that country to overcome the decline in shareholder value. Fortunately, that is a sacrifice its political leaders are willing to make,” read the statement.

With the Supreme Court’s decision, out-of-pocket medical costs will be limited to $5 per visit, with the majority of services requiring no fee at all.

Writing separately, Justice Sherrilyn Ifill indicated she would have gone further and found constitutional protections for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and midwifery, as well. A White House spokesperson told The Alternate Times that it is “taking a serious look” at those areas.