The common saying goes”All politics is local”….That might still be true, but last year November’s Mid-Terms elections witnessed 82% of voters being concerned about the future existence of the Affordable Care Act–also known as OBAMACARE…(more below.)
DETAILS
I and many others thought that the Affordable Care Act–(a.k.a… OBAMACARE) would have been left alone, after it became such a major focus, and selling-point during last year November’s Mid-Term elections.
Even Republican Office-Seekers, (including those from States that had pending legal actions against OBAMACARE), were forced to empathize with their supporters who were clamoring for (i)..the retention of the pre-existing and (ii)..maintenance of children on their parents’ policies clauses of the ACT.
*** In other words, the principal OBAMACARE ingredients that attracted the demands of voters, were (i).. preservation of the clause that allowed persons with pre-existing conditions to purchase Health-Insurance; and (ii).. parents being able to keep children on their Health-Insurance policies, until they(the children) reached 26 years of age.
** Pollsters prior to and after the (November) Mid-Term elections discovered that an average of 82% of voters consulted with, wanted the retention of OBAMACARE.
Thus it came as a shock and surprise, that a Texas Judge–Reed O’Connor ruled on Friday(12.14.18) that the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional.
The U.S.District Judge concurred with a bloc of Republican Officials from twenty States by ruling that because ‘the tax penalty for not having health insurance was repealed in 2017’, the law was no longer constitutional.
The ruling was made just a day before the end of open enrollment for 2019 coverage.
VIEWS
** Media-Commentator-Elina Johnson is contesting that it was (normally) very difficult for Governments to take back what they had already given to their people.
** Journalists–Eugene Robinson and Katy Tur feel that getting rid of OBAMACARE would allow the “Dems to blow out Republicans at the 2020 Elections.”
** Journalist/Broadcaster–Juan Williams feels that given the manner in which the Affordable Care Act influenced the November Mid-Term elections, Republicans who had voted on more than seventy occasions to repeal and replace OBAMACARE, “might now be facing a 5-Alarm fire, as the Democratic Party is going to promote itself as the Institution that is looking out for voters’ Health-Care.”
** Minutes after getting the News, President Trump praised the Judge’s decision saying that “Obamacare should have gone a long time ago.”
–{The President who posts himself as a deal-maker that can get things done will now have to get Democratic and Republican Office-Holders to craft an alternative to the Affordable Care Act.}
As mentioned above, faced with the crucial importance that Segments of OBAMACARE posed during the Mid-Terms, it is going to be curious and interesting to observe how Republican (current) Office-Holders, and those seeking Office(s) in 2020, are going to navigate the Texas Judge’s (December 14th) ruling.
It is also going to be relevant to analyze how elected-Democrats who now control the House are going to treat this ruling.
MAJOR EFFECTS
(i).. That ruling is likely to affect 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions; and the 20 million Americans who rely on the OBAMACARE customer protections;
(ii).. Overturning the Law would end tax-credits to millions of consumers, and reverse Medicaid/Medicare expansion(s);
(iii).. California’s Attorney-General–Xavier Becerra noted that the Texas ruling”was going to affect America’s faithful progress towards affordable Health Care for all Americans.”;
(iv).. (Democratic) Senate(Minority) Leader-Chuck Schumer stressed”O’Connor’s awful ruling, if upheld on appeal will be a disaster for tens of millions of American families–especially for people with pre-existing conditions.”;
(iv).. President of the American Medical Association–Barbara McAneny disclosed that her Association would be cooperating with other Coalitions in mounting appeals against the Texas Judge’s ruling.
Ms. McAneny added”The Texas Court ruling is an unfortunate step back for our health system, which is contrary to overwhelming public sentiment to preserve pre-existing condition protections, as well as other policies that have extended health insurance coverage to millions of Americans.”
(v).. The absence of OBAMACARE will drive up the prices of medical-attention and prescription-drugs–bringing financial ruin to families.
** An interim saving grace, is that the Texas Judge’s ruling is not going to take effect until the (Court) appeal processes are exhausted.
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Why the hate of OBAMCARE,
Poor people need their share
of cheap health-care
provisions
for pre-existing conditions.
and then 