The Supreme Court handed President Obama a major campaign victory today by upholding the President’s landmark healthcare act. Parts of the act have slowly been implemented in the last year or so, but Thursday’s victory means implementation will increase in the next couple of years. The act drastically changes how Americans receive and pay for personal medical care. The act came under controversy because it requires Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty. The Supreme Court, in a split decision, ruled that the penalty was a tax, which is under Congress’ jurisdiction.
Opponents also argue that the act is too expensive and that government shouldn’t mandate health care coverage. The Urban Institute says most people have coverage and only about 6 percent of the population will actually be required to buy health insurance or face a tax under the mandate. Former Massachusetts Governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney vows to repeal the law if he is elected as president. Ironically, the Affordable Health Care Act is based on healthcare reform Romney implemented when he was
“Obamacare was bad law yesterday. It’s a bad law today,” Romney said in a news conference.
Obama played down the political gamemanship in his press video from the White House.
governor of Massachusetts.
“They’ve reaffirmed a fundamental principle, that here in America, the wealthiest nation on Earth, no illness or accident should lead to any family’s financial ruin,” Obama said.
The act is confusing. Check out this guide to key features of the law and implementation dates. Below are a few highlights of the plan:
The law requires insurers to cover the children of those they insure up to age 26.
Insurers must cover people with pre-existing medical conditions remains active.
Children under the age of 19 can no longer have limited benefits or be denied benefits because they had a pre-existing condition.
Starting in 2014, the law makes it illegal for any health insurance plan to use pre-existing conditions to exclude, limit or set unrealistic rates on coverage.
The Supreme Court Upholds Obama’s Healthcare Act was originally published on oldschool1053.com
