Gov. Patrick reacts to high court's health ruling

BOSTON (WHDH) – From Beacon Hill to Capitol Hill, all eyes were on the high court Thursday. In a five to four decision, the nation’s highest court upheld President Obama’s health care law, ruling the individual mandate that requires everyone to buy insurance or face fines is constitutional.

“The highest court in the land has now spoken. We will continue to implement this law. And we’ll work together to improve on it where we can. But what we won’t do – what the country can’t afford to do – is refight the political battles of two years ago, or go back to the way things were,” President Obama said after the ruling.

The ruling means 30 million Americans without health care will now have it, 5 million Americans on Medicare will save on their medications, 3 million young adults will get their current coverage on their parents’ plan, and 130 million Americans can’t be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Governor Mitt Romney denounced the decision as bad for business.

“What the court did not do on its last day in session I will do on my first day if elected President of the United States. I will act to repeal Obamacare,” Romney said.

At the State House, Governor Deval Patrick, who watched the President’s speech earlier, had a message to the former Massachusetts governor who signed the Bay State’s health care reform into law back in 2006.

“Each and every one on the list of horrors Governor Romney now says will happen in America because of Obamacare did not happen in Massachusetts because of Romneycare,” Governor Patrick said.

Republicans are planning to repeal the ruling as soon as next month.