In 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Healthcare Act into law. But many are fighting to repeal it. This law is complex as well as controversial. Over the next three days, WFDD will air a series of reports examining the Affordable Healthcare Reform Act.
Monday the U.S. Supreme Court Justices announced they'll hear arguments on the constitutionality of four aspects of the law. The main one is the provision requiring all U.S. citizens to buy health insurance starting in 2014. And if they don't, they'll pay a penalty.
The individual mandate takes effect in 2014. It requires all U.S. taxpayers to purchase health insurance from health exchanges. People would buy benefit packages on-line, in an agent office or over the phone. But opponents in 26 states argue it's unconstitutional. So March 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court Justices will set aside 5.5 hours to hear from attorneys representing both sides on this and three other provisions.
The new healthcare reform law is designed to give all Americans access to affordable health insurance regardless of medical conditions or income. Currently, the U.S. Census calculates about 49.9 million Americans are uninsured. It also coordinates medical services to reduce costly duplication and fraud. According to CNN Money, medical fraud cost the U.S. $100 billion a year.
Dr. Eric Ford travels nationally and internationally advising on how to
meet some of the mandates of the new healthcare reform law especially in the area of creating electronic information exchanges. Health providers will use this system to safely and confidentially share your medical documents.
He's also the Forsyth Medical Center Distinguished Professor at the University
of North Carolina at Greensboro. According to Dr. Ford, the individual mandate is the reform law's cornerstone and without it the system will not be fiscally sustainable. Along with that, the federal and state governments will eventually have to tax Americans, businesses and reduce how much insurance companies can earn to cover the cost of the current healthcare reform law.
