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Poll: Supreme Court Upholds 'Obamacare'

Do you agree or disagree that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional in requiring every American to purchase health insurance. Vote in our poll and sound off in the comments.

 

The Supreme Court announced Thursday morning that the Affordable Care Act mandate that every American should purchase health insurance is constitutional and should stand.

The court decided that the government is permitted to penalize individuals who refuse to purchase health insurance, according to NBC News. The Supreme Court ruled that the federal government can levy a "tax" on individuals who do not buy into the system, according to NBC News.

The individual health care mandate is the key provision in Obamacare, and some legal experts thought that it could be ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Had it been stripped from the law, many other provisions–such as covering people with pre-existing conditions and not capping insurance coverage–most likely would have been removed, as well.

The decision is a major victory for the Obama administration, which touted the law passed in March 2010 as its signature legislative achievement. However, there are other Americans who decried the law because of concerns about the federal government's role in regulating the health care industry.

The Supreme Court justices listened to oral arguments on the case in late March before issuing their decision at 10 a.m. Thursday. The court voted 5-4 to uphold the law with Chief Justice John Roberts casting the deciding vote and writing the majority opinion.

and read more about the Affordable Care Act and its implications in a companion article.

ordinary joe June 30, 2012 at 11:12 am
Utlimately the people have to decide what they (we) want and will be decied in the upcoming election. The scenario depicted by Tim is a likely possibility if the Republicans have enough votes in the House and the Senate and irrespective of who is in the White House!
YouCantHandleTheTruth July 1, 2012 at 05:21 am
I am a conservative who strongly disagree with handouts. I find it amazing that other conservatives oppose the mandate to buy insurance. In my view, the uninsured who can get insurance are the same as tax cheats. Why should they get free healthcare while the rest of us have to pay? If someone with insurance has a baby, they pay premiums and co-pays to the tune of thousands of dollars. If someone without insurance has a baby, they pay nothing! It's FREE! Paid for by taxpayers and others who pay insurance fair and square. Under Obamacare, there will be no more free ride. They will not be able to cheat the healthcare system and will be required to pay their share or pay a fine.
Zolla July 1, 2012 at 01:33 pm
No matter how you slice the pie, you’re still going to be on the hook paying for it in some way or another. If this law is not repealed I’ll guaranty you at some point there will be a new line item on your pay stub under “Obamacare” or whatever they decide to call it. If you would like to read something, look at the bill (HR 3200 Healthcare reform bill). There’s so much hidden crap in that, you just might be surprised at what you’ll find.
Zolla July 1, 2012 at 02:16 pm
“Under Obamacare, there will be no more free ride. They will not be able to cheat the healthcare system and will be required to pay their share or pay a fine”.
Ok, let’s do it this way. You & I pay for Health Insurance because we can afford it. Your neighbor the Smiths has Medicare. Mrs. Smith works hard as a house cleaner and Mr. Smith hangs out at Home Depot looking for work. The Smiths have 5 children who are also on Medicare. What Obamacare does is get them off of Medicare and through a state program with the insurance companies, come up with an affordable plan that this family of 7 can get. You & I still pay or premium price because we don’t qualify for Obamacare. Hell, there on a roll now. Let’s reform welfare next. We’ll get all the grocery chains together and come up with Obamafare. That way those who can’t afford a $6.00 steak only has to pay $1.50.
Albert Rubio July 1, 2012 at 03:03 pm
YouCantHandleTheTruth,
>Under Obamacare, there will be no more free ride. They will not be able to cheat the healthcare system and will be required to pay their share or pay a fine. On the contrary, the free ride just got bigger and faster and will grow at a faster pace than before. Please see "fool's paradise" article posted above and http://mises.org/daily/6099/Government-Medical-Insurance. Left to the Market, there is no free ride (except by voluntary organizations), government healthcare means you are forced to pay for someone else's government defined free ride, which will grow with each administration. Here are descriptions of the free rides which will soon explode in costs (from wikipedia).: "Low income persons and families above the Medicaid level and up to 400% of the federal poverty level will receive federal subsidies..... ...annual and lifetime coverage caps will be banned. Very small businesses will be able to get subsidies if they purchase insurance through an exchange. Co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles are to be eliminated for select health care insurance benefits considered to be part of an "essential benefits package""
Albert Rubio July 1, 2012 at 03:15 pm
All government planning is flawed at bottom for a very simple reason that all people can understand if they were able only to make the connection, which is this:
There are no means discovered by man in order to get something for nothing. when anyone understands the application of this, faith in State Intervention adn Socialism disappears (except for those whose jobs depend on the system, which are not a few). 'The state is that great fiction by which everyone tries to live at the expense of everyone else.'
ordinary joe July 2, 2012 at 02:11 pm
Tim, Mitt agrees with the Pres. on mandate as a penalty, not a tax. This is the latest from his campaign. Now you make your conclusion!
YouCantHandleTheTruth July 2, 2012 at 03:06 pm
Zolla: You and I have to pay $6 for that steak because there is a large percentage of steaks going to people who pay nothing. Once they start paying, the cost of steak for you and I will go down. Another provision of Obamacare mandates that insurance companies spend 85% of the total premiums they collect on delivering healthcare. The other 15% will go to administrative, profits, advertising, etc. Obamacare is far from perfect. But it is a pretty good system which keeps a lot of principals of capitalism intact. In my view, it is pretty hard to keep all the principals of capitalism intact for healthcare. You can't compare buying health insurance to, say buying a car. But if everyone HAD to have a car at some point or another and 30 million got it for free, everyone else would pay a lot more for their cars. I tend to believe the CBO that Obamacare will lower the national deficit by lowering cost of healthcare.
YouCantHandleTheTruth July 2, 2012 at 04:45 pm
Albert: I don't understand how Obamacare is government healthcare. At a high level, it does two things. One, make it mandatory for everyone to pay into the system (i.e. individual mandate). Two, it sets up exchanges for buyers and sellers to come together to buy and sell insurance in order to remove the excuse for not complying with the mandate. The article in the link you posted implies that the whole concept of insurance is flawed. I think that is true for doctor's visits but hospitalization is where it gets really necessary to have insurance because if you don't pay then someone who does have insurance has to pay for your visit/stay. Those are good ideas. Such plans do exist today. They are nicknamed Catastrophic Health Plans. I think such plans will exist as a purchase options in the exchanges also.
Alex July 2, 2012 at 05:59 pm
Zolla, your company rather slow down sales with that menatlity. Your company rather have your associates end up at free health clinics; on our tax dollars while your company makes millions!
Zolla July 2, 2012 at 07:53 pm
There are obviously a few people here that are not seeing the full picture, or the ramifications that this will have on businesses across the country as well as the economy. It’s a “Trojan Horse”.
YouCantHandleTheTruth July 2, 2012 at 08:54 pm
Government heathcare was a worry when the "public option" was in the act. But once the public option was taken out, I became a supporter of the act. The US spends more than 55% of the budget between Medicare, social security and interest on debt. Something had to be done. As I've said before, this is not the best plan but all things considered it is a pretty good plan for providing healthcare to the population of a capitalist country.
Tim July 3, 2012 at 01:03 am
I will Joe, and the in the majority opinion upholding the Affordable Care Act, Chief Justice John Roberts says that it is indeed a tax. Furthermore, the Court ruled that the "penalty" (tax) cannot be justified under the Commerce Clause as the Obama Administration had sought, so Joe, make your own conclusion!
Tim July 3, 2012 at 01:08 am
@Truth... Obamacare is not going to do anything to cut costs. In fact, costs for insurance will skyrocket and more and more people will choose to pay the tax ("penalty"). Initially, the tax will be cheap to lure people away from purchasing private insurance, then you will see the tax increase. Eventually you will see the private insurance companies fold up and we will be forced into single-payer, government run health scare where government bureaucrats will decide who does and doesn't get treatment.
Albert Rubio July 3, 2012 at 01:29 am
>I don't understand how Obamacare is government healthcare.
A: The fact that ObamaCare can only exist by legislation means it is government healthcare. There are two methods of state implementation: a. State Socialism like public schools, post office. b. State Intervention: "Intervention is a limited order by a social authority forcing the owners of the means of production and entrepreneurs to employ their means in a different manner than they otherwise would." -Mises Examples: Mandating health care, setting up health insurance exchange, mandatory car insurance, car seats, seat-belts, and smoke alarms etc. State licensing of private schools, teachers, hospitals and doctors etc. "A health insurance exchange is a set of state-regulated and standardized health care plans in the United States, from which individuals may purchase health insurance eligible for federal subsidies." >The article ... implies ... the concept of insurance is flawed. Not exactly. It explains with fire insurance, you pay a fixed premium for a fixed money benefit. "Only in our system of medical insurance does the government or Blue Cross pay, not a fixed sum, but whatever the doctor or hospital chooses to charge." This leads to "increasing deductibles, ... caps on Medicare payments." Which are met with howls from "customers who have come to think of unlimited third-party payments as some sort of divine right," and charges of "socialistic price controls" from hospitals and doctors.
Albert Rubio July 3, 2012 at 01:43 am
YouCantHandleTheTruth,
>it's a good plan for providing healthcare to the population of a capitalist country. "Peaceful cooperation, the peaceful achievements of men are effected on the market. Cooperation necessarily means that people are exchanging services and the products of services, goods. The market is precisely the freedom of people to produce, to consume, to determine what has to be produced, in whatever quantity, in whatever quality, and to whomever these products are to go. Such a free system without a market is impossible; such a free system is the market. We have the idea that the institutions of men are either (1) the market, exchange between individuals, or (2) the government, an institution which, in the minds of the many people, is something superior to the market and could exist in the absence of the market. The truth is that the government — that is the recourse to violence, necessarily the recourse to violence — cannot produce anything. Everything that is produced is produced by the activities of individuals and is used on the market in order to receive something in exchange for it. It's important to remember that everything that is done, everything that man has done, everything that society does, is the result of voluntary cooperation and agreements. Social cooperation among men — and this means the market — is what brings about civilization and it is what has brought about all the improvements in human conditions we are enjoying today." -Mises
Zolla July 3, 2012 at 02:14 am
This is nothing but a gateway to socialized health care, no one wins………… when the time comes that it will take 6 months for a doctor’s appointment or go to the emergency room to find 100 people in front of you, only then will people realize what a great idea it wasn’t. Go figure, it hasn’t worked anywhere else but I guess we’ve figured it all out.
Albert Rubio July 3, 2012 at 02:47 am
Milton Friedman - Curing American Health Care
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdcaLReCG3Y [simplified] "In my opinion the only right cure is no government regulation, subsidation, and what is more shocking to most, no licensure of physicisians. if I say to you, do you favor the kind of monopolistic practices which the medical association has followed over the past 50+ years? the majority of physicians would say, no, I am opposed. If I ask, do you favor the unlicensed practice of medicine? they would say no, I am not in favor. But they cannot believe both. To believe in both is to say two and two are five."
YouCantHandleTheTruth July 3, 2012 at 03:38 pm
That is one doomsday scenario. Although I don't have a crystal ball to predict that what you said is not going to happen, I do have faith in capitalism. If insurance prices skyrocket to the point where people start paying the penalty instead of insurance, powers of free market will correct insurance prices. Of course I do reserve the right to be wrong. I believe that most people want to be insured, so most people who will pay the penalty will be the ones who work for companies smaller than 50 employees. But if they pay the penalty, it is better than nothing, which is what they pay into the system now. If there are other quirks in the system then Congress will have to fix them, just like they fixed the small business reporting paperwork quirk a couple of months ago.
Albert Rubio July 4, 2012 at 01:53 am
YouCantHandleTheTruth,
I read your latest comments and I think you are an honest and thoughtful person because you read some of the articles posted and asked fair questions, but I think you are still completely missing the nature of the points being made against Government Healthcare, and are automatically going back to your previously held notions. I don't think discussion here will help clear up issues. Basic Economics is Essential to really understand this issue. I know you may not have been literal on everything in your comments but consider: 1. Faith is antithetical to Markets and economics. 2. The laws of economics are always in effect. No one can evade them or change them. The logical consequences will always follow. 3. The state cannot manage the economy or healthcare or education or McDonalds or Google or GM. It is not possible without ill consequences. 4. Things will not happen like you think they will. They will happen as they must by economic law. 5. There is no substitute for the voluntary market. If you read only one book to help demonstrate this I suggest, "Economics in One Lesson, The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics" http://mises.org/books/economics_in_one_lesson_hazlitt.pdf
Zolla July 7, 2012 at 10:45 am
Here’s some food for thought:
“The penalty will be fully phased in by 2016, when it will be $695 for each uninsured adult or 2.5 percent of family income, whichever is greater, up to $12,500”. Ouch, 2.5% of your income. “The law, however, severely limits the ability of the IRS to collect the penalties. There are no civil or criminal penalties for refusing to pay it and the IRS cannot seize bank accounts or dock wages to collect it. No interest accumulates for unpaid penalties.” Umm, they’ll add a new law at some point. “The IRS is expected to spend $881 million on the law from 2012 through 2014, hiring more than 2,700 new workers and upgrading its computer systems. But the IRS has not made public information about its spending plans in the following years, when the bulk of the health care law takes effect.” And who’s paying for this? "The 2012 budget calls for about 1,200 employees for the IRS to implement the (Affordable Care Act), and the vast majority of those employees are needed to build technology infrastructure to support payments like the new tax credits for individuals and small businesses." More tax dollars.
Zolla July 7, 2012 at 10:46 am
“Those who don't get qualified health insurance will be required to pay the penalty - or tax - starting for the 2014 tax year, unless they are exempt because of low income, religious beliefs, or because they are members of American Indian tribes.” Soooo, I guess it’s not for everyone. Why I am not surprised.
House Ways and Means Committee Republicans issued a report saying the IRS may need as many as 16,500 additional auditors, agents and other employees "to investigate and collect billions in new taxes from Americans." I tend to believe this number to be closer then the 2700 new workers. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Tim July 7, 2012 at 01:33 pm
Many states with GOP governors and legislatures (like Florida) have decided not to implement Obamacare in their states. The idea is that Romney will win, the GOP wins the Senate and Obamacare will be repealed beginning January 20, 2013.
Zolla July 7, 2012 at 01:41 pm
Works for me.................
Nadja Adolf July 7, 2012 at 03:31 pm
The real beneficiaries of ObamaCare are the corporations, just as they benefit from open borders. Open borders provides an almost limitless supply of cheap labor; and ObamaCare enables companies to ditch their benefit plans since the ObamaCare fines are considerably lower than the premiums for many benefit packages.
Either we insure illegals, or they continue to use ERs. My brother works as an RN in the ER of a hospital in Springfield, Oregon. He notes that those receiving MedicAid continue to use the ER instead of the walk-in clinic or the regular clinic because of convenience and hours. He also notes that although the Oregon medical program requires a $1 co-pay for clinic visits, there is no co-pay for ER visits.
Carly July 7, 2012 at 04:25 pm
Yeah, but there are those of us who don't want the AMA "heath"care. I never use allopathic doctors. I use super nutrition and herbalogy and the like. I haven't had a AMA doctors paw me for over 20 years. I want nothing to do with that whole system. I have a catastrophic, high deductible Anthem Blue Cross just in case I need trauma care after I get hit by a bus or something. I have never used it at all. What about all the Christian Science people out there? Don't they object to using the AMA doctors? Totally unconstitutional to make them buy into a system that they religiously may be opposed to. I don't know for a fact about the Christian Science people, I'm just picking my possibly cloudy memory.
And, no, we are not forced to buy car insurance. Driving is a choice. My sister chooses not to own a car and therefore, doesn't buy insurance. This Obamacare is like buying car insurance for those who don't want to own a car. This doesn't apply to all but it does apply to those of us who want nothing to do with the AMA for health care.
Zolla July 7, 2012 at 04:35 pm
“Those who don't get qualified health insurance will be required to pay the penalty - or tax - starting for the 2014 tax year, unless they are exempt because of low income, religious beliefs, or because they are members of American Indian tribes.”
Carly July 7, 2012 at 09:39 pm
Zolla
12:35 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012 “Those who don't get qualified health insurance will be required to pay the penalty - or tax - starting for the 2014 tax year, unless they are exempt because of low income, religious beliefs, or because they are members of American Indian tribes.” I don't fall into any of the above categories. I just don't want to have the AMA doctors' "heath" care. I have found a better way for me and mine. So, I can't get an exception.
Zolla July 10, 2012 at 02:32 pm
“For example, a single 26-year-old earning $16,000 might pay $537 toward the annual premium for a mid-level "silver" plan, according to estimates from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The rest of the premium would be covered by a $2,853 tax credit. (Deductibles and co-pays could cost up to an additional $2,083, depending on how much care the person needs.)”
“A 26-year-old earning $35,000 would pay $3,325 in premiums - $277 a month - for the same plan, after only a $66 tax credit. (And that patient might be on the hook for another $4,167 in out-of-pocket costs.)” “Private insurers have yet to set the prices for their 2014 plans, because coverage that will comply with the law is still being developed. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that premiums for the bare-bones plan, called "bronze" level, might average between $4,500 and $5,000 per year. Family plans might cost $12,500 per year.” I love this one – “UNDER 26? LEAN ON MOM OR DAD”
Zolla July 10, 2012 at 02:34 pm
“In 2016, the minimum penalty rises to $695 and it's capped at a little less than 2.5 percent of taxable income. That's about a $1,600 fine for someone making $75,000 per year.”
So from the looks of these, I assume your insurance rate will not be based on your yearly income. “Most people with incomes up to four times the poverty level - which currently comes out to $44,680 for an individual or $92,200 for a family of four - will qualify for some help paying for private insurance. Aid drops off sharply as income climbs, and younger people get smaller subsidies than older folks whose insurance rates are higher.” I’m still wondering where those money savings rates are. Oh I know, its not for those who pay for everyone else. "Obamascam Health Care".

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Zoneil Maharaj (Editor) June 18, 2013 at 02:47 pm
That's great to hear! We have a full list of locations in Newark, via Newark Unified, here:Read More http://newark.patch.com/groups/schools/p/newark-unified-offers-free-summer-lunches-for-community-children
Rob Sorensen June 16, 2013 at 09:28 pm
I'd suggest working thru the Principal at NMHS with less speculation. I too was involved with PTA,Read More Newark Schools Fdn, Jaycees and other non-profits. Best practices are that the one handling, depositing money not also be the one keeping books. A great volunteer shouldnt be put under suspicion without there being group neglect. By-laws and an active Board can cleanup this miscommunication. The school Principal is the MOD.
Dan June 17, 2013 at 07:40 am
I agree 100% with CT
Andrea " Andy " June 18, 2013 at 10:10 pm
I helped run the Snack Shack for 10 years presented a Binder to Coach with all Accounting of allRead More monies provided for deposit - Its real simple if any Booster member requests to see Books - Give them the Books for review - I do not understand why this has not been done - Even if seen in 2010 this is 2013 and things change and the Membership is entitled to regular Audits on the money they worked so hard to raise. So produce, show and review!!!!!
Mona Taplin June 15, 2013 at 06:23 pm
Good response Teddy, and truth.
Bong Sativa June 17, 2013 at 05:57 am
The more likely explanation is that the vast majority of Newark Police officers lack the requisiteRead More aptitude & agility necessary to fill shopping bags with groceries & didn't want to do anything to further embarrass themselves while under the scrutiny of the bewildered shoppers like James.
Teddy June 17, 2013 at 12:12 pm
Bong Sativa maybe you can meet Officer Indica.
Shimadog June 15, 2013 at 10:10 am
Could it be that, because busloads of inner city non resident children jam the place, someone wiselyRead More decided to make the hours available to Newark taxpayers first?
Audrey June 15, 2013 at 10:27 am
Yes they are walking as I write this! but it is not to late to sponsor them! please!!!
Mona Taplin June 13, 2013 at 04:03 am
This probably sounds heartless, but it sounds like this house should be condemned before a tragedyRead More occurs. I doubt if any organization can bring it up to code because of the cost. It's really sad to see this happening to a working person in this country.
Adam Moe June 13, 2013 at 09:47 am
I'm not sure if your mom will qualify but there are lines of credit out there that she can get as aRead More home owner. It will require her to have the income to pay back small portions at a time. Not trying to make it harder just trying to help. See about it online or let me know more and I'll see what I can do to help.
Teddy June 16, 2013 at 07:00 am
Mona Taplin you are right on re: all your remarks.
Tony June 16, 2013 at 05:33 pm
Thanks James!, You know it's amazing when somebody puts their own personal time to learn andRead More understand something and then you share it... I would have been more then glad to explained myself in more detail face-to-face because I may learn something myself but like a marriage you don't get on here and start posting every little detail about you and your wife and I'm not going to get on here and start posting every little detail about my past employer`s. So to whoever flagged me you could have simply posted a disagreement and I'm open-minded and can admit when I make a mistake...I would've simply deleted my post if you could've proved it wrong.
James Nelson June 18, 2013 at 07:58 am
Tony, You are an upstanding individual, glad you joined the Patch! ;)
James Nelson June 18, 2013 at 08:11 am
I would also like to point out that I have on two other occasions asked this Mike Bucci guy the sameRead More question and each time I am Ignored. If this is what us Newark Residents can expect from an aspiring Politician then he can keep his day job! We already have enough Status Quo people in our gov failing to answer the simple questions.
James Nelson June 5, 2013 at 09:11 pm
Landline? That's like so 15 years ago! People still do home telephone services? Wow!
Dina Murtaza June 9, 2013 at 08:41 am
Yes I have a cell phone and a landline when I am working. Lots of people have it as a 2nd phone.Read More Found out the people working on the lines accidently cut off the phone lines.
Audrey June 6, 2013 at 05:36 pm
have they been claimed yet anyone know??
Anna Locke June 7, 2013 at 09:17 am
UPDATE! Just got a call this morning from a neighbor of the man who owned them. The gentleman diedRead More Mon or Tues and the poor dogs hadn't been well taken care of for years - slept outside, no affection, etc. Long story short - the neighbor wants to adopt them! YAY! <3
Anna Locke June 5, 2013 at 01:35 pm
Make sure to post on Facebook. He may have a microchip...hopefully. You can take him to CentralRead More Vet to check. Good luck! I just found two at the Lake Monday evening.