President Obama’s Health Care Legislation has a date with the Supreme Court
In March of 2010, President Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act is the highly controversial health care reform law. This Act is said to be one of the signature accomplishments of the President. Since the Act was signed into law, 26 states have filed suit in federal courts around the nation challenging the constitutionality of the Act.
That big-ticket provision of the Act that is being challenged is the “individual mandate” that requires nearly all Americans to purchase a minimum level of health insurance. The Supreme Court recently agreed to hear two major questions: 1) whether the “individual mandate” provision is unconstitutional; and 2) whether the entire law must be invalidated due to the centerpiece provision which is the “individual mandate.”
Both advocates and adversaries of the Act have serious concerns regarding the constitutionality of this Act. The federal government reported that last year approximately 45 million Americans were without health insurance. As a result of uninsured Americans, the federal government sites $43 billion in uncompensated medical costs. On the other side of the aisle, arguments have been made that the health care law has not lived up to its promises and actually is creating a substantial burden on small businesses. Opponents of the Act also contend that the Affordable Care Act unconstitutionally reduces individual freedoms.
The Supreme Court will begin to hear oral arguments in late February or March, and a ruling is expected by June. The result undoubtedly will influence the political debates in this presidential election year.
Source:
Bill Mears, Supreme Court takes up challenge to health care reform law, https://articles.cnn.com/2011-11-14/politics/politics_health-care_1_oral-arguments-health-care-reform-law-affordable-care-act?_s=PM:POLITICS (accessed 11/15/2011)
