Thursday, June 28, 2012

Going Forward after the SCOTUS ACA Ruling

(i.e. the politics, how the law will play out, and what this means for further healthcare reforms in the future!)

Impacts on future SCOTUS decisions, TPM

The legitimacy/illegitimacy of the GOP tax attacks (and there will be many!), TPM

More on the "tax hike" that currently only affects 1% of MA residents, ThinkProgress

Implementing the law, Politico

Can (or will) Obama boost the popularity of the ACA going forward? Scientific American

Thoughts on how the Medicaid expansion will shake down, ProPublica

Important Reactions to the SCOTUS ACA Ruling

President Obama, TPM

Michelle Obama, Politico

Nancy Pelosi, The Hill

Brian Beutler, TPM (this guy got it right back in March!)

SCOTUS ACA Good News (minus the politics)


Josh Marshall at TPM's thoughts

The Krugster (Paul Krugman) over at NYT's thoughts

Eugene Robinson at the Washington Post (via Real Clear Politics)

How the ACA helps women at ThinkProgress

How the ACA helps the economy at ThinkProgress

The Pop Culture SCOTUS ACA Thoughts

The comments section on The Hairpin is always refreshing (everyone's so nice!)

ThinkProgress' Alyssa Rosenberg cites Severus Snape, and is therefore my favorite.

The SCOTUS ACA Opinion

You can read the full opinion in all its legalese glory at TPM.

Thoughts on the SCOTUS ACA Ruling

I was going to title this "Everything You Need to Know" but I already wrote that earlier! The Affordable Care Act was ruled constitutional, which means that starting in 2014, adults with pre-existing conditions (like kidney disease or acne or having been pregnant) cannot be denied coverage or have their coverage dropped. Healthcare will be more affordable and tens of millions more people with have it. Preventative care will be free (and birth control!) and the health exchanges will help individuals  who are self-employed or who's employers have fewer than fifty employees receive insurance. Young adults like me can stay on our parents' health insurance until we're twenty-six (since I've been enjoying that part of the law already, I have immediate reason to be happy it didn't get oveturned!).

We had one great day back in February of 2010, and we're having another one here in June of 2012.

Was it perfect? No. The limited reading of the Commerce Clause may (or may not!) cause problems in the future, and the limitations of the Medicaid expansion are disconcerting (although most states will fall in line, the hardcore Republican ones will probably take many more years to fully cooperate). But just remember - it could have been so much worse.

I'm really happy today, and I hope you are, too. Enjoy it.

In my next few posts, I'm going to give you lots of different areas and readings of today's news. You can take or leave what you will. The most important things have already been said.

MANDATE UPHELD! MANDATE UPHELD!

Affordable Care Act LIVES!!!!!!!

More to come later.