Healthcare Reform
President Barack Obama signed healthcare reform into law on March 23, 2010, signifying a historic victory for Democrats, who had been working to pass such legislation for decades. Supporters have characterized the law as expanding availability and affordability for healthcare. Critics, who dubbed it “Obamacare,” call it a dangerous expansion of government power. By the end of 2010, insurance companies will be prohibited from rejecting children with pre-existing conditions, new insurance plans will be required to cover certain preventive care services, including cancer and diabetes screenings, and young adults will be able to stay on a parent’s insurance plan until they turn 26. The law also creates an external review process for consumers to appeal insurance company decisions and invests $15 billion in public health programs. By 2014, denying coverage to anyone with a pre-existing condition will be prohibited, and individuals and businesses employing more than 50 people will have to purchase health insurance or face fines. Responding to the law, 20 states filed a multi-state lawsuit in Florida while Virginia filed its own suit, both questioning the constitutionality of forcing Americans to buy insurance. In early August 2010, a federal judge refused the Justice Department’s request that Virginia’s suit be thrown out. Many Republicans, led by Minority Leader John Boehner, pledged to repeal the law. Republicans and Tea Party activists, calling it a government takeover of healthcare, swore to make healthcare a major issue in the November 2010 midterm elections. An August CNN poll showed 83 percent of Americans say healthcare reform is still “extremely” or “very” important in their decision on who to vote for in Congress.
The latest news on Healthcare Reform
Obama's contraception "compromise" is a gimmick that voters will see right through.
Church leaders could not have been less gracious towards Obama's surrender on contraception.
The Catholic Church is asking the Obama administration to do something it cannot do itself: limit birth control use.
The so-called "accommodation" on contraceptive coverage reinforces the administration's commitment to its pro-choice agenda.
Obama amends a ruling that required Catholic institution to cover birth control for employees.
The Catholic Church's stance on birth control is a slippery slope, as an Obama administration ruling highlights.
Some Democrats are among most publicly opposed the an Obama policy requiring religious institutions to cover contraceptives.
The framing of the issue of required contraceptive coverage in religious terms obscures the real question.
The Obama administration's contraceptive requirements aren't just bad politics, they're unconstitutional.
Liberals despise the religious institutions that could address the problems they think government should solve.
