Obama Health Care Plan

Barack Obama And Medicare: Raising The Age Of Eligibility Is Wrong!

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In the midst of the debate and negotiations over the Debt Ceiling Crisis being raised, President Obama has reportedly suggested the idea of raising the Medicare eligibility age at some unknown point in the future to age 67 from age 65!

Hopefully, this is all a bluff, and will go nowhere, or is being reported incorrectly, as raising the Medicare age would be absolutely wrong!

For people over 55 now, it absolutely should not be considered as they are close to retirement age.

But even for those under 55, it would be wrong, as one forgets that not everyone has a low stress, or mental oriented job that they go to daily.

Many have physically challenging jobs of high stress, and the human body can start having all kinds of problems by the mid to late 50s, and even more so in those people who do not sit behind a desk or primarily use their minds at their workplace.

For a person 65-67 to attempt, if retired or not receiving health care coverage at work, to find adequate health care coverage at a delicate age such as the mid 60s, is nearly impossible, and an unnecessary stress on such individuals.

As we are trying to provide health care to millions more people through the Obama Health Care plan, this is not the time to make the gaining of health care for people 65-67 more stressful and difficult!

America’s workers have enough trouble staying above water economically, and if anything, what we really need is Medicare for all, instead of the more limited health care plan passed by Congress in 2010, and now being challenged all the way up to the Supreme Court!

First Appeals Court Test Of Obama Health Care Law: It Is Constitutional!

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In the first appeals court test of Barack Obama’s Health Care Reform this week, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati voted 2-1 that the law was constitutional!

There will be two more such judgments by Courts of Appeal in Atlanta and Richmond, before the subject goes to the US Supreme Court for final judgment this coming term.

Interestingly, the two judges voting in favor were a Carter appointee and a George W. Bush selection, while the one judge opposed was a Reagan pick.

The majority upheld the concept that an individual “mandate” to buy health insurance was legitimate, as refusing to insure oneself puts the burden on everyone else when a person not insured ends up having to obtain health care that he has not paid for. The financial burden, therefore, falls on others because a person is irresponsible in obtaining his own health care, but cannot be denied care, nevertheless.

So the majority upheld the Commerce Clause of the Constitution as making mandated health insurance coverage an acceptable use of federal power!

In five District Court judgments, judges have divided directly on partisan limes, with three Democratic appointees backing the law, and two Republican selections opposing the legislation.

So it will be up to the Supreme Court, in what will be one of the most watched and significant cases in the next term of the Court, and just in time for the Presidential Election of 2012!

The Sharply Divided Supreme Court And The Future: Crucial Cases Coming Up!

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The US Supreme Court demonstrated two tendencies in the past term just ended: Support of corporation rights at the expense of the public interest, and absolute worship of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech in ways many just shake their head at in wonderment!

But if there is controversy over some of the Supreme Court decisions of the term now over, just wait to the next session of the Court in 2011-2012!

What kinds of “hot” issues are to show up for oral argument and decision in the next term?

1. The Obama Health Care Plan’s constitutionality
2. Affirmative Action
3. Illegal Immigration
4. Gay Marriage

It seems as if no one is leaving the Court, although one would have thought that Ruth Bader Ginsberg might have retired, so it will be the same nine member, equally divided Court, with Anthony Kennedy the swing vote on many cases, deciding some of the most controversial areas of political debate in this country, and deciding if we are moving ahead, or falling back into the 20th, and maybe, the 19th century!

Town Halls Turn Against Republican Budget Plan To Destroy Medicare As We Know It: A Reversal Of 2009-2010!

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In 2009-2010, the Obama Health Care plan received belligerent responses in many Town Halls for Democratic members of Congress, leading to much controversy and many confrontations!

Now, the tables have been turned, and Republican members of Congress are discovering in Town Halls that their constituents do NOT want Medicare destroyed, which the Republican budget plan of Congressman Paul Ryan represents!

The problem is that 235 Republicans in the House of Representatives just voted a week ago to adopt the Ryan plan, and as many predicted, it is becoming an albatross around the necks of the Republicans, and could lead to a massive switch in seats again, putting the Democrats in control of the House of Representatives after the 2012 election results are in!

What the Republicans refuse to recognize is that the American people, by large margins, including Independents, Republicans, and even Tea Party Movement people, want Medicare preserved as it is!

It is not just the senior citizens of this nation who like Medicare; it is also their children! And also, the seniors are not just selfish for themselves, but really feel strongly that their children and grandchildren should be entitled to the same excellent health care represented by Medicare!

Yes, Medicare is expensive and has cost overruns! But the answer is not to change Medicare into a voucher system which will victimize future senior citizens, but instead to TAX appropriately, as every other Western industrial nation does, so that EVERYONE is entitled to excellent health care in the long run, not just the short run!

And it is time to TAX the WEALTHY and the CORPORATIONS, both of which have a responsibility to all of us for their good fortune, and must play their role in promoting the best health care available!