"Obama Care and the Supreme Court"

Obama Care and the Supreme Court

Currently underway is the long anticipated legal battle over the legality under the U.S. Constitution of the Obama Care law. The heart of the dispute is whether or not the Government can demand citizens pay for health care, the so called mandate. Lawyers for Obama Care will say that since everyone uses health care everyone should pay something for it. Opponents will argue that the Government has no right to demand people buy anything. The justices will deliver their decision at the end of June.

One argument made by pro Obama Care proponents is that under the current system, insured people have to pay for those uninsured. They contend that is unfair and also illegal. That the insured pay for the uninsured is a fact. For example: a person with no health insurance and not much money needs medical attention and so off to County General they go. Hospitals and clinics are loath to turn people away because of bad publicity (and their own conscience). What emergency room wants to turn someone out for lack of money or insurance and then have them go ten steps outside the door and drop dead? The uninsured will get served in almost all cases. Plus, those providing the service know they will do one of two things about the costs: If it’s County General (or any variation of that name) they will bill the state and the taxpayers will pick up that tab. If those seeking aid go to a place NOT state supported, the costs will be passed on to insurance companies and the insurance companies will then pass those excessive charges costs to their customers in the form of higher premiums. Once again the tax-payer picks up the bill. How much extra money do the insured pay annually to cover the uninsured? The figure being reported is 1,000 dollars a year per customer. That is the amount rate payers pay extra on their health insurance annually to pay for the uninsured. One way or another, uninsured people are paid for in large part or entirely by those that are insured.

If Obama Care is ruled legal, and a person cannot afford to get insured, what happens? Do they go to jail? No! Do they get health services? Yes! The costs (presumably less) are still passed on to the taxpayer anyway.

There are reasons to be concerned about saying it is okay for the Government to begin mandating what the citizens must do. (Although, isn’t that what income tax is?) Once the Government is given the green light to demand people buy insurance what will the people be mandated to buy next? Once the door opens on the government controlling the people, it will be next to impossible to close it again. Or am I being too paranoid? Did our founding fathers want a society where the Government could tell the people what they have to buy or do? (Well, John Adams maybe yes) Wasn't that one of the reasons we fought a King? To have individual freedoms. I don't like paying for the uninsured unless extreme need is proven but I also don't want the government to tell me I have to buy anything. It’s an interesting dilemma isn’t it?

However, I think there is a bigger issue at work here and it goes to the very heart of what kind of society we will have in the future and that is this:

How much longer and to what degree will the people that work and pay into the system be expected to pay for those that do not?