Today the Supreme Court will hear the final round of arguments on President Obama's Affordable Care Act. While 26 states joined the lawsuit against health care reform, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed the original suit, and Florida is the lead plaintiff in the case. And in the midst of what Attorney General Bondi has called "one of the biggest cases of our lifetime," she is also leading an investigation into the Trayvon Martin case in Sanford, Florida.
All this week, the Supreme Court has heard arguments on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. The centerpiece of President Obama's health care reform legislation — and the focus of the debate at the Court — is the individual mandate, which requires all Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a fine. The Court won't issue a ruling until June, but if they do declare the mandate unconstitutional, how much of a real difference will it make for you and your health care?
The case against the Affordable Care Act currently being heard by the Supreme Court was brought by 26 states. Ohio is one of those states, and in Ohio, disapproval of the health care law runs deep. Last fall, Ohio voters amended the state constitution to say that no federal or state law will require any person, company or health care provider to participate in a health care system. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine explains why he joined the suit against the Affordable Care Act.
All this week, we're talking about Department of Health and Human Services vs. Florida, the health care case at the Supreme Court. Today the Court will hear arguments on the constitutionality of the individual mandate, the provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires Americans to purchase health insurance. Failure to purchase health insurance could result in a fine. We've heard from constitutional scholars and economists for their take on health care reform and the individual mandate, and today we turn to three doctors this morning who have very different perspectives on the individual mandate.
On Thursday, Vermont will become the first state to boast a single-payer health care system. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin will sign the bill that would enlist a panel to figure out how to pay for a new system — and reduce rising health care costs. The goal is to offer a health care solution for the state's 65,000 uninsured.
In 2007, Governor Deval Patrick became the first black governor of Massachusetts. In his first term, Patrick oversaw the implementation of the state's 2006 health care reform program, defended the legality of same-sex marriages and increased the state's sales tax to 6.5 percent. Now in his second term, the man born into poverty on Chicago's South Side has written a memoir called “A Reason to Believe: Lessons From an Improbable Life.” Governor Deval Patrick joins The Takeaway to talk about his path to the governor's mansion —and the road ahead.
We look ahead to this week's agenda with Marcus Mabry, international business editor for the New York Times, and the BBC's Rob Watson.
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