Democrats Ask the U.S. Supreme Court to Save Failing ObamaCare.

Friday, January 3, 2020

With Affordable Care Act enrollment declining, and the number of Americans without health insurance increasing, "ObamaCare" is becoming less popular as the years pass. (The ACA was phased-in from 2010 thru 2013. Fully in effect on 1-1-2014.)

To add insult to injury, two Federal judges have now ruled that part, or all of the Affordable Care Act, is Unconstitutional.

As a result, Democrat-led (Blue) states asked the U.S. Supreme Court to save the ACA today...requesting expedited consideration.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and 20 Democratic-led states asked the Supreme Court on Friday to declare that the landmark Obamacare healthcare law does not violate the U.S. Constitution as lower courts have found in a lawsuit brought by Republican-led states.

The House and the states, including New York and California, want the Supreme Court to hear their appeals of a Dec. 18 ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that deemed the 2010 law’s “individual mandate” that required people to obtain health insurance unconstitutional.

The petitions asked the Supreme Court, which has a 5-4 conservative majority, to hear the case quickly and issue a definitive ruling on the law, formally called the Affordable Care Act, by the end of June.

Texas and 17 other conservative states - backed by President Donald Trump’s administration - filed a lawsuit challenging the law, which was signed by Democratic former President Barack Obama in 2010 over strenuous Republican opposition.

A district court judge in Texas in 2018, found the entire law unconstitutional.

Source: www.reuters.com...

There is no doubt that the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) benefits millions of Americans, both adults and children, who could not obtain health insurance in an "open market" situation. For that reason, it would be a mistake to cancel the law all-together.

The problem is that ObamaCare is the only full-blown health insurance available to those who do not have health insurance at work, through the Veterans Administration, Medicare...etc.

A self-employed family of 4 has to pay over $1,500 a month to buy health insurance, because ObamaCare is the only Major Medical available. For 2020, ObamaCare comes with a $8,100 government-mandated annual deductible/out-of-pocket per person.

Hopefully the Supreme Court will uphold ObamaCare, but enable less comprehensive health insurance plans to once again be legal.

For instance, a 60 year old man doesn't need the "maternity" benefit. But it's included in all ObamaCare plans and adds $80 @ month to the premium.

But in it's wisdom, the 2009/2010 U.S. Congress determined that all available benefits MUST be included in every health plan...and every existing medical condition must be covered. Every American does not need, or is not able to pay for every available benefit.

The Supreme Court should enable CHOICE...ranging from bare-bones (cheap), to ObamaCare (expensive). Americans are not sheep. We are intelligent enough to decide for ourselves what amount of health insurance to purchase, just like we do with every other product or service.

-CareWeMust

a reply to: carewemust

Actually in my opine Obamacare has the USA at its core of its interests. That's a 10-4 Big Buddy as OK for The USA. I am not talking about those in the program including all illegals.

Keep ObamaCare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a reply to: carewemust

Obamacare is a perfect example of Obama’s lack of presidential qualifications.
It was terrible legislation that was doomed to fail.

It’s also a perfect example of not seeing the real problem.
Still no politician is focused on lowering the cost of healthcare.

I don't see SCOTUS even hearing the case. If they do, then I would hope they reverse their original ruling, do what is right, and cast the entire mess into the pit of hell from which it originated... but as I said, I doubt they'll even accept the case.

a reply to: carewemust
The problem with that solution, IMO, is that insurance companies would not be able to be profitable under those conditions.

Somebody, somewhere, has to pay for the health insurance that they are now being forced to provide at a loss.

That was the whole point of the mandate wasn't it? To make up for the fact carriers had to provide services for those that couldn't afford coverage otherwise?

Forcing everyone to have insurance allows the medical professions to use a dartboard for their billing.

If anything, we should be asking the supreme court to pass legislation to phase out health insurance entirely, so we can begin the process of fixing our broken medical pricing.

a reply to: Waterglass

It's interesting how House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (yes...she's a double-dipper) said she had to pass ObamaCare into law, so she could find out what was in ObamaCare.

Today, she doesn't want to sign-over impeachment documents to the Senate, without first knowing "what's in the Senate proceedings".

Obamacare should be scrapped entirely. It should be taken out back and shot. We need to find a way to limit the Government’s involvement in healthcare. The Government turns everything to crap.

a reply to: Mach2

Blue Cross of Illinois lost $247 million in 2018. Laid off hundreds and outsourced customer service. ObamaCare put limits on what health insurance companies can earn. None of them reached that limit.

a reply to: carewemust

Nancy has huge jumblies. Other than that not much

Why does everyone not remember stuff?
This is PelosiCare .
Obama only signed it ( I think Pelosi used the same strategy on Barry she did on the House "we got to pass it before we see what is in it")
Obama requested a name change for it most likely after it was passed and he read it. It is now , and has been since then , known as the ACA.
Why would Obama request (actually demand) a name change for the best thing since sliced bread ?

a reply to: carewemust

There is no reason why the ACA as a whole should be ruled unconstitutional. None at all. I have always disagreed with the individual mandate, or rather punishing people who don't or who can't afford to have insurance. While I do think everyone should have insurance, or the right to it, if the government mandates one to have it, it should provide it free of cost.

That said, many people have and continue to benefit from the marketplace, the subsidies that reduce cost, to get insurance, so the fact that is it "failing" is a BS false narrative meant to undermine its benefit to many Americans.

As it is, healthcare premiums across the board are absolutely atrocious, which is another reason why Americans should have universal healthcare or healthcare at significantly reduced costs.

A healthy population is good for the nation.

a reply to: carewemust

Pretty sure that was my point.

Were they not profitable before Obamacare was instituted?

originally posted by: Metallicus
Obamacare should be scrapped entirely. It should be taken out back and shot. We need to find a way to limit the Government’s involvement in healthcare. The Government turns everything to crap.

We had to go on Obamacare for a few months last year before my work health insurance kicked in. I am afraid of having to pay back the credit for those three months based on my new income because I make a decent amount now. But I also have to pay for part of my work plan so I'm not getting it for free. The deductibles and co-pays we had under the ACA were horrible, we didn't even use it while we had it. I am angry that we were forced as a country into something that made health care costs even higher when the majority of us didn't want that interference from the government. My health insurance was fine before the ACA and didn't include stupid things maternity coverage for men. Obama and the Dems ruined our health insurance industry and severely damaged our health care system as a whole with their regulations and mandates. It will take a lot to get it back to being affordable and retain the quality we have.

originally posted by: lordcomac
Forcing everyone to have insurance allows the medical professions to use a dartboard for their billing.

If anything, we should be asking the supreme court to pass legislation to phase out health insurance entirely, so we can begin the process of fixing our broken medical pricing.

The year my younger daughter was born; I was constantly on three way calls between my insurance provider and the medical providers (hospital, doctors) fixing the hundreds of "mistakes" they had made in their billing. Its funny how the "mistakes" where never in my favor.

I would even get "corrected" bills months after the birth that added "mistakes" that weren't in the original bill. Its almost as if the doctors and hospital saw revenue slipping and thought to make it up by making up chargers to send to me and my insurance company.

a reply to: lordcomac

That would be a good start, but you'll also need to prevent the from offering or accepting credit. Otherwise your still enabling them to charge more than people can afford.

originally posted by: Liquesence
a reply to: carewemust

There is no reason why the ACA as a whole should be ruled unconstitutional. None at all. I have always disagreed with the individual mandate, or rather punishing people who don't or who can't afford to have insurance. While I do think everyone should have insurance, or the right to it, if the government mandates one to have it, it should provide it free of cost.

That said, many people have and continue to benefit from the marketplace, the subsidies that reduce cost, to get insurance, so the fact that is it "failing" is a BS false narrative meant to undermine its benefit to many Americans.

No, what's BS is the ACA deductibles and premiums. If you're on the ACA don't you dare get sick or have a minor health issue, you'll go bankrupt from just the deductibles. Seven to fourteen thousand dollars of out-of-pocket costs would absolutely ruin a lot of people. My former cadillac BCBS plan had a $500 deductible and cost less than the ACA bronze plan without a subsidy that has the $7k per person deductible and it had better prescription coverage.

As it is, healthcare premiums across the board are absolutely atrocious, which is another reason why Americans should have universal healthcare or healthcare at significantly reduced costs.

Nope, I can't agree with you there. We need affordable health care like we had when I was young, along with catastrophic coverage for the big stuff. Medications are far too expensive but a lot of them are also unnecessary if we eat right and exercise like we used to. Most of our common ailments would disappear if we did that. What should be criminal is drug companies charging through the nose for insulin and practically giving Narcan away for free. Type 1 diabetics can't change their condition, addicts can.

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: Mach2

Blue Cross of Illinois lost $247 million in 2018. Laid off hundreds and outsourced customer service. ObamaCare put limits on what health insurance companies can earn. None of them reached that limit.

I don't know where you got that figure but the parent company that owns BCBS made a $4.1 billion dollar profit in 2018. The Chicago Tribune said they even lowered their ACA premiums in 2019 because of that.

Having said that, laying off people and outsourcing is the current corporate mindset for non-manufacturing jobs and it's not a new one. The company I work for hired a few hundred a couple of years ago for a major project, then laid them all off plus a few more when the project was finished. Companies do that but you don't always hear about the reason - lower operating costs and tax advantages.

originally posted by: Metallicus
Obamacare should be scrapped entirely. It should be taken out back and shot. We need to find a way to limit the Government’s involvement in healthcare. The Government turns everything to crap.

I am old enough to remember life before health insurance, since health insurance costs have sky rocked to the point you need insurance.

a reply to: HalWesten

f you're on the ACA don't you dare get sick or have a minor health issue, you'll go bankrupt from just the deductibles.

Depends on the plan one chooses. Deductibles are capped, according to the plan.

We need affordable health care

Yes, we do. To start, end for-profit health care.

Medications are far too expensive but a lot of them are also unnecessary

Totally agree.

What should be criminal is drug companies charging through the nose for insulin..Type 1 diabetics can't change their condition

Totally agree. I know, my sister is diabetic.

Point being, getting rid of ACA does not in itself make healthcare affordable. But it makes healthcare available to those who otherwise can't afford it, which was my original point. Until we find a solution or a replacement, there is not reason to get rid of it.