SCOTUS upholds Obamacare

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
6/28/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Individual mandate constitutional if penalty is applied as a tax.

The Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act as constitutional in an opinion that was both complex and divided. The most divisive issue of the act, the individual mandate, was upheld as a form of taxation.

An Obama supporter holds a sign at a pro-Obamacare rally earlier in the year.

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WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - The key vote that decided the fate of the law appeared to be in the hands of Chief Justice, John Roberts, a conservative justice appointed by George W. Bush.
While conservative critics claimed the law went too far because it compelled Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty. And while supporters acknowledged the individual mandate as it was called, they explained the only way to make the law work was to compel every citizen to have insurance.

Naturally, this is expected to become a larger issue in the upcoming November elections as some Republicans have pledged to work towards repeal. A slight majority of Americans oppose the new law.

Some key components of the Affordable Care Act have already gone into effect, specifically free wellness exams for seniors, and children are permitted to remain on their parent's insurance until age 26. Meanwhile the individual mandate won't take effect for another 18 months.

The law, designed to extend coverage to some 32 million uninsured Americans, has divided the nation along party lines. Democrats believe the law will give all Americans access to affordable health care, while Republicans predict it will be a bureaucratic disaster that will decrease the quality of care for patients.

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Keywords: Obamacare, Affordable Care Act, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Roberts, Kennedy, individual mandate

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