Healthcare debate nears an end

The US Supreme Court met for a third and final day today as they assess the Affordable Care Act proposed by President Obama.

What was thought to be overwhelming support towards the bill is now being reconsidered, due to a few individual mandates. Many of the justices on the Supreme Court are concerned that it may be unconstitutional to require Americans to have health insurance.

Republican State Senator Dave Lewis of Helena says, “The issue is the individual mandate. Can congress mandate that everyone must buy health insurance? Congress used that to buy these concessions form the health companies. So if the court throws out the individual mandate it seems to me the whole thing falls apart." 

If the Healthcare Reform Bill is dismantled and the individual mandate is removed then it may be impossible for the rest of it to survive.

Lewis says high risk people have health insurance because they need it, while younger Americans who are low risk may find it easier to pay healthcare costs on a need basis instead of buying insurance.

Democratic US Senator Max Baucus says, “Thousands of Montana seniors, young adults and families are already benefitting from the cost-savings and consumer protections in this law.”

Baucus continues, “We can't afford to forget that health care reform reduces the deficit by more than one trillion over the coming decades.”

Nothing will change in the terms of medical care while a decision is being reached so parts of the law already in effect will stay the same. This includes a provision that lets young adults stay on their parents' insurance until the age of 26.

Story by Drew Steele, Beartooth NBC.
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