In light of the Supreme Court decision upholding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) has reaffirmed its strong commitment to health insurance customers.

“It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court upheld a bill that has been widely criticized by the public and the insurance industry,” said PIA National President-elect Andrew C. Harris. “But despite this ruling, the nation’s professional independent insurance agents remain committed to providing their customers with professional advice and choices regarding their health insurance.”

The decision to sustain PPACA means those states that have been delaying taking action to set up required insurance exchanges in anticipation of a different ruling must now make up for the time they lost.

“We urge all states to now deal with the issue of insurance exchanges in a manner that guarantees the right of insurance consumers to rely on the expertise of licensed professionals as they make important decisions about their health insurance coverage,” Harris said.

This decision will prompt a torrent of legislative activity on the federal and state levels. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican, announced that the Republican-controlled chamber would vote again July 11 to repeal the law upheld by the court. But whatever repeal efforts House Republicans make almost certainly will die in the Senate, where Democrats have control, and Obama would have the ability to veto such a bill if it passed both chambers.

State insurance regulators are being heavily relied upon to help implement the law and their guidance and expertise will be even more critical now.