Just In: Supreme Court Upholds Obamacare

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supreme-courtIn a victory for President Obama, the Supreme Court decided to uphold his signature health care law’s individual mandate in a split decision, upending speculation after hostile-seeming oral arguments in March that the justices would overturn the law. The mandate has been upheld as a tax, according to SCOTUSblog, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the liberal wing of the court.

Twenty six states sued over the law, arguing that the individual mandate, which requires people to buy health insurance or face a fine starting in 2014, was unconstitutional. Opponents cast the individual mandate as the government forcing Americans to enter a market and buy a product against their will, while the government countered that the law was actually only regulating a market that everyone is already in, since almost everyone will seek health care at some point in his or her life.

Before oral arguments in March, polls of Supreme Court experts and scholars showed that most believed the mandate would be upheld as an exercise of Congress’ power to regulate interstate commerce. But after justices seemed deeply skeptical of the mandate in oral arguments in March, the consensus flipped, with most experts guessing the court would strike down the law.

House Republicans have vowed to repeal the entire law, though it’s unlikely the Democratic-controlled Senate would let that happen.

Though the sweeping, 1,000-page plus law passed more than two years ago, much of it will not go into effect until 2014. That’s when states will have to set up their own health insurance exchanges, Medicaid will be expanded by 16 million low-income people, and Americans will have to buy health insurance (for many, with a government subsidy) or pay a penalty of 1 percent of their income to the IRS. Employers who have more than 50 employees and don’t offer insurance will also begin to face a penalty. Insurers will no longer be able to turn away people with preexisting conditions, or charge people higher premiums based on their gender or health.

Only about 6 percent of the population will actually be required to buy health insurance or face a tax under the mandate, since most people already have coverage or will get it through Medicare, according to the Urban Institute.

Many of the more popular provisions of the law have already gone into effect, including a regulation saying insurers have to let children stay on their parents’ plans until they are 26 years old, which 2.5 million Americans have already taken advantage of. Insurers can also no longer turn away children with preexisting conditions, and sick uninsured people can buy coverage in high-risk pools set up by the government.

{OTUS News}

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


7 COMMENTS

  1. Baruch Hashem?

    They upheld it as a tax increase, the biggest one in history, and you say, “Baruch Hashem”?

    What about the rest of us who have to pay for this tax increase, as well as skyrocketing insurance premiums?

  2. Hi #’s 2,3 &4, not sure if you guys will still check this thread since it’s kinda buried, but just in case here are answers Al rishon rishon
    #2) They upheld it legally as a tax increase, in other words the constitutional power for the federal govt to levy taxes is what gives them the right to impose this mandate. It isnt actally a tax increase (unless you refuse to buy insurance which is when the tax kicks in (not the biggest in history as you state its only 1% of income)in that case I think you should be taxed, that is a tax increase that I am not opposed to just as i am not oppsed to tax increases on ciggarettes)
    #3) For several resons, Few deny that healthcare in this country is broken. The argument is how to fix it. It has been discussed and discussed for several generations, this may help so its worth a shot. I would like to see it tried before its discarded thats why its good it was upheld.
    f you want some tangible benefits here are a few: More people insured, Compaines cant deny preexisting conditions
    #4) Aderaba their is a reason I’m happily married. Thanks to Obama zul zein gezunt in shtark, I can be married and remain on my parent’s insurance (another benefit #3) I cant afford health insurance which would have been a prohibitive cost for me at this stage which prior to Obama care would not have allowed me to marry.

    Besdies dont forget Baruch Hashem doesnt neccesarily mean its good, keshem shemevarchin al hatov mevarchin al hara
    Anyhow in this case it is good for me, for most yidden, and for the country.
    Baruch Hashem indeed

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