If Health Insurance Mandates Are Unconstitutional, Why Did the Founding Fathers Back Them?
Einer Elhauge | The New Republic: The founding fathers, it turns out, passed several mandates of their own. In 1790, the very first Congress—which incidentally included 20 framers—passed a law that included a mandate: namely, a requirement that ship owners buy medical insurance for their seamen. This law was then signed by another framer: President George Washington. That’s right, the father of our country had no difficulty imposing a health insurance mandate. Read the full article
Defining (Way) Down The Middle Class
Alec MacGillis | The New Republic: The Wall Street Journal’s lead editorial on Friday praised Rhode Island’s efforts reining in Medicaid costs after having gotten special flexibility from the Bush administration, and argued that this demonstrated the wisdom of block-granting Medicaid to the states, as Mitt Romney and other Republicans are calling for. There’s a strong argument to be made on the other side that block-granting is just a cover for major Medicaid cuts. Read the full article.
Planned Parenthood Sues Texas Over Poor Women’s Access To Health Care
Jessica Pieklo | Care2 Make a Difference: Planned Parenthood claims that a new state law banning organizations affiliated with abortion providers from participating in the program amounts to unconstitutional discrimination by association. The groups, none of which provide abortions, contend that the law has nothing to do with providing medical care and is simply intended to silence individuals or groups who support abortion rights. Texas law already requires that groups receiving federal or state funding be legally and financially separate from clinics that perform abortions. Read the full article.
If Obamacare Is Struck Down, These Americans Are in Trouble
Millions could be hurt if the Supreme Court scraps health care reform. Here are their stories.
Marla Tipping’s 14-year-old son, Cam, has to have his blood cleaned every two weeks. He has a rare condition that makes his body produce too much cholesterol. Tipping says her family has had “to be absolutely vigilant in never having a lapse in coverage…because many carriers would never carry you with a preexisting condition again.” That was the case before the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Read the full article.
