As I write this, the shutdown blame game continues in
Washington. According to the GOP, the Democrats refuse to compromise. The argument
is, “We need more time to analyze this 2,500-page train wreck.”
My question is: Given that the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
was passed three years ago, how much time do you need?
The Republican answer: Eternity. If that’s true, you must
have stupid analysts.
Another GOP argument is that the individual purchase
requirement in the law is unconstitutional. The law was duly passed by the
Congress, signed by the President, and upheld by the Supreme Court.
Unconstitutional? I think not.
Next argument: The President has broken the law by
postponing the health care employer mandate. October 1st was
specified in the law – he is overstepping his power by deferring the
requirement.
But wait – the implementation of all laws is prescribed by
the agencies charged with enforcing them. Federal agencies have almost
unlimited powers concerning the rules covering the execution and administration
of the laws. Deferment and individual waivers are granted all the time; this
time is no different.
Another argument: Because employers of more than 50
employees are required to cover contraceptives, the law is unconstitutional because
it violates the religious freedom of these employers.
Well what about the equal rights of those employees who do
not find contraceptives sinful? Are they to be denied rights equal to those enjoyed
by employees of religiously neutral employers?
A major argument is, “We can’t afford it.”
The ACA is modeled on the Massachusetts
health care insurance reform law, passed in 2006, and signed into law by none
other than Governor Mitt Romney, who happened to be the GOP’s favorite son in 2012.
In
June 2011, a Boston Globe review concluded that the healthcare overhaul
"has, after five years, worked as well as or better than expected.” There
is nothing to indicate that the ACA will not perform just as well.
There is one
potential benefit of the ACA which is seldom mentioned – the economic benefit
of having a healthier national work force. According to a study conducted by
the Commonwealth Fund1, in 2003 there were 5,372M days of production
lost due to worker health problems. As a result, $260B of output was also lost.
The universal availability of health care provided by the ACA would go a long
way toward reducing this loss.
Republicans, ask
yourselves if hanging on to a losing ideology is worth reducing the once proud
United States to an international laughing-stock. Ask yourselves if your
selfish motives are fulfilling your constitutional mandate to “promote the
general welfare.”
But don’t ask
yourselves who shut down the United States. You did.
1. Health
and Productivity Among U.S. Workers
Karen Davis, Sara R. Collins, Michelle M. Doty,
Alice Ho, and Alyssa L. Holmgren
******
My books, “There Are Only Seven Jokes” and “The Spirit Runs Through
It” are available in paperback or Kindle at Amazon.
Comments
Post a Comment