Supreme Court ObamaCare

yeah, next thing is they make us eat broccoli ~ of course it is OK for states to force women to be sexually assaulted with a vaginal probe without her consent, but hey....I guess that is the difference between state and federal laws....

Joe wrote: Don't mean to bump any of the fire threads, but today's SC testimony and questions seem to cast new doubt on the mandate being ruled constitutional. I now think it loses 5-4, changing my vote. Lots of skepticism from at least 4 of the Judges. Kennedy seems to be the swing vote that could decide it, and he was both skeptical and understanding at times.

looks like I am wrong with you too. NPR and Fox both think the government attorney wasn't at his best today. James Carville is spinning that Obama will win if he loses. People will still be stuck with rising health care prices and declining co-pays.

Well I can appreciate the logic behind the mandate, and I have always bought insurance, so the free riders that don't pay do tick me off. But I still think its more important to follow the constitution and limit Federal power. The states have always been free to reform and regulate health insurance. They would just have to raise state revenues and actually pay for it instead of borrowing Trillions.

I also question whether health care is really "Interstate" commerce anyway. When I think of Interstate, I think of the power grid, telephones, waterways, air travel, Interstate highways, shipping etc.

Going to your local doctor and local hospital doesn't seem like "Interstate Commerce" to me.

I do see it as interstate commerce...every time I found myself in a state that didnt recognize my insurance carrier or vice versa. Sure, your Colorado insurance will cover emergencies if you are out of state, but not a doctor visit for a cut or a sore throat. If you are self employed and want or need to move to a different state your policy doesnt go with you. Getting a new policy means you can't have a pre existing condition or you wont qualify. Its time to make health insurance national not state specific.

Well Archer, I know my policy covers emergencies and out of network, maybe at higher co-pays. I think that is more the exception than the rule. Does any of that change with Obamacare.. if you are traveling on vacation to another state?

Doc visits for a sore throat or cut are not covered for me anywhere including Colorado, I don't consider that insurance, but I'm not like most people I guess.

Get out your butter and jam folks...the mandate is toast ( I predict).

I don't know joe...my post was directed at health insurance being covered under interstate commerce. I was more concerned with the inability to move it to another state. Its like saying that Ford you bought in Colorado you can't register in AZ because you didnt buy it there.

I do know what you are saying Archer, I am self employed and worked in CA for 9 months. I just kept my fingers crossed and did not tell my insurer. My plan was to get emergency care and move back home if needed.
I'm just not sure how any of this changes with Obamacare, unless I constantly change insurers. Same with my car reg and license, I did not change that either for 9 months. (Illegally)

Its the inability to get insurance with a pre existing condition...if you have insurance great...just don't try to move to another state if you can't qualify for a new plan. Obamacare does change that....but you need the mandate to pay for it or insurers will either go broke or raise premiums so high no one could afford an individual policy. As it was I had a policy with sky high premiums which I couldn't change because even changing to a lower cost policy required me to requalify ...which I couldn't.

I'd have to check, but I think I could change my address on my policy to another state and keep the same policy with the same company with a possible rate adjustment. I haven't tried it though. I would help if transferability was easy to do without re-qualifying. Same for going from a work plan to Individual.

Whatever though, back on topic- the Supremes seem to be skeptical about the mandate.