DeKALB – Shirley Hill saw Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act as a small victory.

Finding assistance in covering medical costs has been a challenge for the 55-year-old DeKalb resident, who said she was forced to retire because of her illness. The pre-exisiting condition has made it difficult for her to find insurance coverage and doctors willing to accept the reimbursement levels.

But the Court's 5-4 decision that supported President Barack Obama's mandate for all individuals to have insurance by 2014 or pay a penalty could be a small step forward, Hill said.