The flag of the Northern Arapaho Tribe. Photo from Facebook

The Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming was in federal court on Thursday in hopes of blocking certain Affordable Care Act rules.

Since the tribe employs more than 600 people, it is considered a large employer under the ACA and must provide insurance to its workers. The lawsuit says that will end up costing the tribe and working-class Native employees more money in the long run.

"They proposed a one-size-fits-all, large-employer mandate that doesn't fit Congress' purpose of bringing health care to working-class Native Americans," attorney Kelly Rudd told Judge Scott W. Skavdahl, The Casper Star-Tribune reported.

The tribe named the Secretaries of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Treasury as defendants. The Internal Revenue Service, an agency of the Treasury, issued ACA rules that went into effect on January 1.

The tribe faces $1.5 million in tax penalties if it does not comply with the rules, the paper reported. Skavdahl said it will take him a few weeks to issue a ruling.

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Northern Arapaho tribe's ACA suit advances in federal court (The Casper Star-Tribune 2/13)