The Affordable Care Act Heads To Court

The Supreme Court in Washington. (AP)

President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law two years ago this week. Parts of the law are already in effect, but the most controversial part — a mandate for individuals to buy health insurance — is still a couple of years off.

And next week, the Supreme Court will hear from opponents to the law and from Obama administration officials.

Guest:

Adam Liptak, reporter for The New York Times

We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

Chris in San Diego

Hi Robin, Yes, I will be following this very important issue. Every person in the USA needs to be covered and have access to affordable health care. One of the biggest issues is accepting persons with pre exisiting conditions. Currently, the health care companies are denying access to healthy people like myself. I hope that our current healthcare system changes soon. It is disfunctional. Thanks, Chris in San Diego, CA
Proof

Yes, we will be following the SC hearings! We are fortunate to live in Massachusetts, and where I was recently unemployed, we benefited greatly by having insurance through the state plan. We were recently in Ohio where our relatives are mostly well educated republicans. They were very curious about how it worked. Most of them did not understand that it works through private insurance companies. It became very clear that most people do not have a clue about what the law is about — only what has been spun by Fox news.
Elizabeth Shearer

Yes, I will be completely glued to NPR to hear details of the Supreme Court’s hearing of arguments for and against the Affordable Care Act. I believe health care reform is vital to our country’s future, and that the individual mandate is essential to its success. It has worked well in MA. The only alternative to an individual mandate is a single-payer system, which would be more efficient but for which this country does not yet seem to be ready.
VeganCycler

If the law will force Americans to buy health insurance, will it also force insurance companies to pay? Now, when one gets sick or injured, the insurance companies try as hard as they can not to pay.
Laurae

After having emergency surgery ($48,000) last year, I don’t know how anyone could not be insured. How does an uninsured person begin to pay this? And, why should a person be tied to an employer because of a pre-existing condition?
I’m sorry, but iIf you don’t have insurance, I can’t afford to pay for you.
Jon Cohen

The real impact on commerce appears to be the high cost of health care, the amount charged by health care providers). Can the administration make the argument that the current law controls the actual cost of health care? Or is the law simply health insurance reform?
Lapointeslair1

Just because Congress has the power to do something does not nessesarilly mean it should just look at every other country with universal health care there people at. Severely taxed and there economy’s are worse off for it.and to get in to see a doctor if you are not bleeding outrite could take months on end you have time to die before you get in. John lapointe…
Celine

So far, even you (Here and Now) are not helping people understand the actual health reform law. Nothing you said indicates the truth, which is that MOST PEOPLE, all who have coverage under their employers and want to keep it, will not have to do or buy ANYTHING as a result of the law! Read your script. Where do you point that out?
Bob England

Medicaid discusson mentioned the billions the Feds give to the states.
I do not think there was an analysis of the states’ dollar contributions..
If not, then it might be fun to discuss the impact of Medicaid on states’ finances:
1) Currently
2) From 2014 thru 2019
3) From 2020
Signed, raeng2@aol.com
cn

How does the affordable care act affect those covered by their employers? I heard our costs will go up. That is what I need to know.
BCancer Survivor

Yes, I am paying attention to this argument. I am a 56 yrs old cancer survivor on SSDB and Medicare. Fortunately I was employed and covered by my employer’s health insurance before I became a huge consumer of medical care. I had had periods of uninsurance previously when I was much younger and to think that this could have happened during one of those period is completely terrifying. One day you may wake up and suddenly become that consumer. Not a club anyone wants to join but it is responsible to be prepared.
Thomas Henderson

I discovered National Public Radio last year, and now I look forward to this and other programs covering the news. I wish there was more of an effort to educate the public, in regards to the Affordable Care Act, and so I was glad to hear your coverage. Parts of the law have already had a positive impact, and both A.A.R.P and Good Housekeeping have reviewed it – and published favorable articles recently. Has anyone asked the Republican candidates if they have read the Act? Based on what they continue to say, I sincerely doubt they have – which means none of them have a legitimate opinion on that subject. They complain simply because they can, and people will beleive them regardless of the facts. The leading cause of bankrupcy continues to be health care costs, so it is definately an issue that affects the national economy. The individual mandate does not bother me – car insurance is mandatory, plus we have house insurance. There is pet insurance also, and yet affordable (and adequate) health insurance is unavailable to many people. Expanding Medicaid may be a good idea; however, have you seen the long list of requirements that must be met to qualify? I looked into it once, and I decided that it wasn’t worth the aggravation. Besides, if health insurance companies cared more about people than profits we wouldn’t need the mandate. Also, this could force health insurance companies into the free market system – like car insurance – which should lower the rates. In addition, the Act will increase – not decrease – jobs because the health industry (medical, insurance, etc.) will need to expand in order to meet the new demand. That affects everyone from the office workers processing the claims (which they already need more of, based on how long it takes to review a claim), to the medical staff (doctors, nurses, etc.), to the construction industry (more or expanded office buildings, more or expanded hospitals, etc.). As someone who has pre-existing conditions that require ongoing care – asthma and enviromental allergies, plus osteoarthritis and borderline rheumatoid arthritis – the only way I can get adequate, affordable, health insurance is through an employer. And even then there are limitations. I have been out of work for two years, and a bout of acute bronchitis in April, 2010, helped wipe out my savings account (I haven’t had health insurance for four years). I have lingering health issues, as a result of that experiance, that I guess I will just have to live with. I have also had to “ignore” health issues because I couldn’t afford to address them, and I know others who are in the same situation. Repealing the Affordable Care Act would have, in my opinion, a devastating effect on this country because it would aggravate the existing probelms with the healthcare system. Thank you, in advance, for letting me share my opinion – and keep up the good work!
Sincerely,
Thomas Henderson
Dobo4892

I will be following the Supreme Court arguments with rapt attention. Please give this as much coverage as you can. I am in favor of the Affordable Care Act as a POOR SECOND to a single payor system. I believe the vested interests of the insurance companies in this country make it next to impossible to have a single payor system. So the AFC is better than nothing. It at least covers most of the uninsured. I believe there is a lack of truthful coverage of what this act really is. Please help people understand this bill. People need more than the right wing propaganda they are getting. Love your show!