ELMAU, Germany (AP) _ President Barack Obama says the U.S. Supreme Court probably shouldn’t have taken up the latest challenges to his signature health care law.
Obama says there was no reason for the health program to end up in court, maintaining that “it’s working.”
The high court is expected to decide soon whether Congress authorized federal subsidy payments regardless of where people live, or only for residents of states that created their own insurance marketplaces.
The decision could have far-reaching implications because millions would lose their insurance if the court said people who enrolled through the federal site couldn’t get the subsidies.
Obama says it has been well-documented that Congress never intended to exclude people who went through the federal exchange.
Obama commented Monday in Elmau, Germany, at the conclusion of a summit.
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Congressman Bill Flores of Bryan, as chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), recently unveiled the RSC’s American Health Care Reform Act (AHCRA).
Flores also discussed Obamacare during his May 27th update on WTAW’s The Infomaniacs:
Click HERE to read an AHCRA overall summary, provided by the RSC.
Click HERE to read an AHCRA summary section by section, provided by the RSC.
Bullet points from the RSC news release about AHCRA:
– Fully Repeals Obamacare. AHCRA goes into effect on January 1, 2016 and fully repeals the president’s health care law.
– Increases Access to Affordable, Portable Health Insurance. AHCRA levels the playing field between people who receive their insurance through their employer and those who purchase it on the individual market by creating a standard deduction for health insurance. Under the RSC’s plan, individuals with qualifying insurance receive a $7,500 tax deduction and families receive a $20,500 deduction.
– Expands Insurance Access for Vulnerable Americans. AHCRA ensures those with pre-existing conditions have access to health insurance by expanding federal support for state high-risk pools and expanding portability so Americans can easily move between insurance markets without fear of discrimination based on health status.
– Spurs Competition Between Insurers. AHCRA allows people to shop for and purchase insurance plans across state lines, like other forms of insurance already allow. The plan also allows small businesses to pool together to negotiate for better rates.
– Encourages Innovation. AHCRA establishes an eight year, $15 billion spending fund through the National Institute of Health (NIH) to develop biomedical breakthroughs in the five diseases that cost the most American lives each year: heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. It would also create a $1 billion prize, similar to the X Prize, for a cure to Alzheimer’s disease.