U. S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson decided that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional which may benefit the Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli and those who campaigned on repealing “Obamacare”. The Associated Press reported that Hudson wrote “this case, however, turns on atypical and uncharted applications of constitutional law interwoven with subtle political undercurrents.” One must wonder if the same was said about requiring auto insurance as a way of keeping one’s driving privileges. This ruling is less of a blow to Obama’s greatest legislative accomplishment and could be most devastating for those it was enacted to help.
It’s Impact
The number one result of this decision is to allow others to now seize this argument to present and treat as precedent. No longer will the focus be on whether or not it is of benefit for this nation’s citizens and the nation itself but the focus can now shift to which side chooses the right people to sit on these benches and vote the way they want them too. If for no other reason than to fulfill a campaign promise despite how well the program works. The number two result will be that reports like the one published by Medical News Today.com will no longer exist. It reported that a company called CalPERS claims a “savings of approximately $200 million” which “have brought CalPERS retiree health insurance premium rates to the lowest level in 14 years.” We know that this act rids us of the “worst practices of the insurance industry” but this ruling may force all that to disappear. For me personally, being a veteran means that I do not have to fear this ruling unless it gives others the idea to go after veteran’s benefits in the same manner. As a small business owner, since many are now forced to work longer, the savings that I might have earned from providing insurance for those who meet this act requirement have now been possibly undermined.
Benefits unseen and unspoken
There is a much larger concern over this ruling and it could be that without this act, we may never be able to possibly lower our cost of Medicare or Medicaid. I say that because many of those on the rolls at CalPERS are retirees and if we could implement this program nationwide, it may allows America the option of using this to reduce our Medicare/Medicaid rolls. Imagine the money already reported saved in California being repeated over the other 49 states every year. The savings alone would be worth it as well as allowing Americans the feeling of being self-sufficient. There would probably be another savings as those who qualify will then no longer seek emergency room care and be more able to secure preventive care.
The really sad part is that many of those making this decision will not have to ever concern themselves with having to qualify nor will they have to fight and struggle to help family members qualify. Many who make these decisions are those who are not likely to be affected by its outcome and that itself is a travesty. The Affordable Care Act could be the vehicle that this country needs to finally get its financial house in order while serving the greater good but if this ruling stands, this opportunity may just be taken away from us.
