Concern Over Healthcare Reform

Concern Over Healthcare Reform

Concern Over Healthcare Reform. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

The debate over health care reform in the United States centers on questions about whether there is a fundamental right to health care, on who should have access to health care and under what circumstances. The United States is the "only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not ensure that all citizens have coverage." And as is usual, the issue is divided along party lines as to how to fix the situation. Those in favor of universal health care argue that the large number of uninsured Americans creates direct and hidden costs shared by all, and that extending coverage to all would lower costs and improve quality. Opponents of laws requiring people to have health insurance argue that this impinges on their personal freedom. A major concern over the Constitutionality of Health Care has surfaced in Washington. And according to Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley.

GRASSLEY: It’s such a new issue because I think it’s based upon what we call the individual mandate, in other words for the first time in the 225 year history of the country the federal country says you have to buy something and if you don’t buy it you’re going to be paying $1500 as a family to the IRS each time you file your income tax until you get at least minimum insurance.

Grassley says he is willing to listen to Constitutional lawyers who have raised this issue.

GRASSLEY: But I’m afraid the way this thing is going that there is not enough questions raised about the individual mandate that maybe there aren’t enough people concerned about it. I intend to ponder that as I should.

So, what should Congress do?

GRASSLEY: Whether a proposed law is constitutional or not you want to assume that Congress would not pass and unconstitutional law if they knew it was unconstitutional. Now a lot of laws we pass are later on declared unconstitutional but at least Congress starts out with the premise that they’re doing the right thing.

And even if Health Care Reform is Constitutional, Grassley points to another major question: Is it the right thing to do? That is something that can be debated from know until the end of time.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.

 

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