PPACA is constitutional

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 was the U.S. government’s commitment to hold insurance companies accountable, lower health care costs, expand coverage options and improve the quality of care for all Americans.

With the PPACA, people can rely on guaranteed medical care, preventing insurance companies from dropping coverage for seeing too many doctors. Insurance companies will not be able to say no to people who need expensive life-saving surgery. People with chronic health problems will no longer suffer because insurance companies refuse to cover them due to pre-existing conditions.

Statistics showing that 50 percent of all bankruptcies in America are related to medical expenses will no longer exist. The PPACA will standardize prices for medicine and procedures to prevent prices from skyrocketing, as well as beginning the process of expanding health insurance coverage for an additional 32 million Americans.

PPACA is also good for businesses. Some small businesses are already taking advantage of tax credits in the new law that can cover as much as 35 percent of their health insurance premiums. In 2010 and 2011, small businesses saved $6 billion. This will rise as we move towards 2014 when small businesses will be eligible for tax credits of up to 50 percent of their premiums.

Unfortunately, the Republican Party wants to repeal the PPACA. Republicans oppose the PPACA under the guise of “constitutionality” and people’s rights, but there is no real interest in “We the people.” Republicans want to protect their big business friends in the insurance and drug industries.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, New York Life Insurance and Adelson Drug Clinic are two of the largest donors to the Republican Party. These companies do not want the government limiting their already outrageous profits.

Republicans believe health insurance is a commodity and that the free market should determine prices. They think health insurance is an elective purchase, similar to buying a car or home. If people cannot afford a home, then people will have to live homeless. If people cannot afford health insurance, then people will have to live without medicine and medical attention when they get sick. They don’t care if people die from not having basic health care – at least the free market ideology would remain intact.

They also don’t care about astronomically rising health care costs. In fact, they find every chance to cut funding for public health care. Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee Chair, wants to massively cut Medicaid and Medicare. Two weeks ago, the House passed the Wisconsin Republican’s $3.5 trillion budget plan, complete with measures to switch Medicare to a private system and slash more than $700 billion from Medicaid.

PPACA is under review by the U.S. Supreme Court, who will decide whether mandating health insurance is constitutional. Much has been said about how the political backgrounds of the Justices will influence their decision. For the sake of all citizens of this nation, let’s all hope that justice is indeed blind and the Court will choose the greater good of society over party politics. The health of America is at stake.