“If you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance” = “A Clear Downward Trajectory” of Grandfathered Plans”

March 25th, 2014

At One First Street, “If you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance,” roughly translates to a “clear downward trajectory” for grandfathered plans. From this colloquy in Hobby Lobby between the Chief and the General:

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: Can you make a representation to us about how long the grandfathering is going to be in effect?

GENERAL VERRILLI: I ­­ I can’t give you a precise figure as to ­­ there’s a clear downward trajectory. There’s significant movement downward every year in the numbers. There’s every reason to think that’s going to continue. I can’t give you a precise time when that is going to be ­­