Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death has left the now eight-member court equally divided between liberals and conservatives. This may affect certain healthcare-related cases, according to MedPage Today.
Here are the five cases:
1. The Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt case involves a law in Texas that may impose an "undue burden" on a woman's right to an abortion.
2. The Gobeille v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company case examines whether self-funded insurers in Vermont should be required to share certain claims data with the state to aid in the development of its all-payer database.
3. Zubik v. Burwell considers whether the federal mandate requiring insurers to offer coverage for contraception coverage undermines the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
4. The Universal Health Services v. United States ex rel. Escobar case looks into the question of whether certain legal approaches used in fraud cases against healthcare groups are valid.
5. House v. Burwell is not currently before the Supreme Court, but will likely make its way there soon. The case involves a challenge to the decision made by the administration to reimburse insurers for lowering beneficiaries' cost-sharing responsibilities under the PPACA.