StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Debating on The Affordable Health Care Act - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The essay 'Debating on The Affordable Health Care Act" focuses on the critical analysis of the major issues in the debates on The Affordable Health Care Act. Since the enactment of the Affordable Health Care Act, the debate has shifted from arguments in support or opposition to the act…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.3% of users find it useful
Debating on The Affordable Health Care Act
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Debating on The Affordable Health Care Act"

The judge declared parts of the Affordable Health Care Act inconsistent with the intentions of the constitution which guarantees all citizens the right to choose, therefore, according to the judge, the act was unconstitutional. In his ruling, Federal Judge Henry Hudson hinged his judgment on whether the government had the mandate to force every individual citizen to purchase health insurance. Based on this opinion, the federal judge rejected the government's argument that purchasing health insurance was a form of tax.

The judge noted that in putting in place the Affordable Health Care Act, the act’s regulatory scheme was conceived as an application of Commerce Clause powers. The federal judge rejected any attempt to stretch the Commerce Clause to allow the government mandates insurance purchases, claiming that such a move would open the gate to unrestrained federal power. For the federal government’s penalty due to noncompliance to be effective under the law, the judge opines that it must aim to affect a legitimate exercise of the Commerce Clause.

Further, Federal Judge Henry Hudson sees the Affordable Health Care Act as more that the issue of designing a scheme of universal health insurance coverage or regulation of the insurance business. According to the judge, the core of the matter is an individual's right to choose to take part in the scheme. Supporting his stand, the federal judge notes that the Constitution had given congress specific powers. Therefore, the judge claims that the power that the constitution does not give the federal government is reserved to the states while those not outlawed are reserved to the citizens.

Even as Federal Judge Henry Hudson declared the Affordable Health Care Act unconstitutional, Judge George Caram Steeh found the act constitutional in the ruling of the Thomas More Law Center v. Obama case in which the judge gave an order denying the plaintiff’s motion. In his opinion, Judge Steeh noted that a refusal to get insurance amounted to an example of an activity that affect interstate commerce to a large extent.

According to the judge, those who select not to get insurance coverage have in effect made an active decision to pay for their medical expenses from their pockets. This decision, the judge added, had an impact on taxpayers, health care providers, and the insured citizens who will have to foot the bill for those who do not take insurance coverage. Further, Judge Steeh claims although the matter on the constitutionality of the Affordable Health Care Act presented an issue of first impression, there was a rational ground to make conclusions that decisions not to take insurance coverage increased the cost of coverage, therefore affecting interstate commerce.

From the point of view presented by Federal Judge Henry Hudson and judge Steeh, it is my opinion that Federal Judge Henry Hudson presents a better argument. The government should recognize its citizen’s right to choose. Tchooselize those that do not take insurance coverage is coverage dictating to them the kind of medicine they should take when they get sick. People have the right to decide the kind of treatment they need and at what time. Although it is a noble effort that would guarantee medical service to many deserving citizens, the federal government, through the Affordable Health Care Act has no legal right to force citizens to take medical coverage. If the Affordable Health Care Act becomes law in 2014 without repealing some of the sections, the law can be used as precedence by both the federal government and the state governments to force citizens to purchase some goods and services without their will. Such precedence will be contradictory to the democratic principles, which are hinged on the people’s freedom of choice.  

Further, Judge Steeh’s assertion means that any activity Americans do or do not do should be considered commerce because they are living and that Congress can use this provision to institute laws that require all citizens to take insurance coverage or face punishment due to noncompliance overstretching the law. Judge Steer bases his arguments on the government’s opinion on the participation of all Americans in insurance coverage and coverage benefits that will accrue to the people due to compliance when the Affordable Health Care Act becomes law. In effect, the judge uses political talking points to base his arguments instead of basing them on the Constitutional provisions. From the foregoing, both congress and the federal government will have failed in their mandate if they do not repeal some of the contentious clauses in the Affordable Health Care Act.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1”, n.d.)
Health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/history/1491301-health-care
(Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words - 1)
Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words - 1. https://studentshare.org/history/1491301-health-care.
“Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words - 1”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/history/1491301-health-care.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Debating on The Affordable Health Care Act

Helping the Community and Advocating on Healthy Life Choices

The Patient Protection and Affordable care act of 2010 is seen by the organization as a milestone and a major step in healthcare reforms in the United States.... However, concerning the increasing cost of health care in the US context, the experiences at Patton-Fuller Community Hospital suggest that the Act could do little about ensuring the affordability of medical care.... The act has provisions to ensure protection and to have increased coverage....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

History of the Affordable Care Act

This paper 'History of the Affordable care act" focuses on the fact that public policy is an important issue dealing directly with securing public interests and ensuring that State plays its part in fulfilling its basic and fundamental responsibilities.... Affordable care act was one of the major initiatives to reform health care.... Generally termed as Obama care or the Affordable care act, it represents one of the most significant overhauls of the health care system of the country....
7 Pages (1750 words) Term Paper

American Life and Affordable Care Act

The paper "American Life and Affordable care act" highlights that Medicaid is meant for providing insurance coverage to US citizens who are not formally employed even though its compensation is much lower compared to that of Medicare and other private insurance covers.... Affordable care act (ACA) refers to an act that brought a lot of changes in the hospitals and in the healthcare system in the USA.... The act is one of the popular Obama healthcare policies whose primary goal is to make medication affordable to US citizens and people living in the country permanently....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Impact of Affordable Care Act on Healthcare Access, Cost, and Quality

This essay "Impact of Affordable care act on Healthcare Access, Cost, and Quality" explicates the likely impact of the Affordable care act on access, cost, and quality of care in the United States.... in particular, the implementation of the Affordable care act (ACA), otherwise known as Obamacare has impacted the health sector immensely.... he primary intent of the lawIn elucidating the ACA, Eibner et-al (2013) points out that;The Affordable care act was signed into law on March 23, 2010, and represents the biggest change to the U....
13 Pages (3250 words) Essay

Policy Brief in the US

he push for increased involvement of the government in the health care administration in the US started as early as 1912 when the then-presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt called for an establishment of a national health insurance system for the American population.... health care reforms have from then dominated the country's political environment and have evolved to become both a scientific, social and economic issue2.... The health care sector of the economy has been one of the major segments receiving high-end funding from the country's coffers....
9 Pages (2250 words) Case Study

Impact of Affordable Care Act on Health Care Reimbursement

The paper "Impact of Affordable care act on Health Care Reimbursement" explores is a law endorsed by the US president in 2010 which improved the health care system of the USA.... It emphasizes lower health care 11cost, creating accountability in insurance firms, and quality health care among others.... Free health care accessibility will lead to an increase in the demand of the Healthcare workforce to meet the increased demand, thereby leading to a shortage of medical professionals....
4 Pages (1000 words) Assignment

Analysis of the Affordable Care Act

Bill Clinton came up with a new way of dealing with the healthcare crisis in 1993 where employers would buy insurance Affordable care act PowerPoint Links http prezi.... om/file/997e86Affordable Care ActAffordable care act consists of different measures to provide an overview of the healthcare costs for all citizens.... However, the economic shutdown that could result from the budget deficits and high borrowing noted to finance the Affordable care act provisions needs to be averted to ensure healthcare is present for all....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Various Health Systems

The Affordable care act, also known as the Obamacare has been in the news for a long time.... The Affordable care act (ACA) was created with the goal of making the large number of Americans, who were unable to afford health insurance, have access to high-quality care plan (Tanner, 2013).... The discussion surrounding the matter has been based on the need by the Republicans to repeal the act citing that it is not the best care plan for the Americans....
6 Pages (1500 words) Report
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us