Vowing to oppose the historic health care reform that passed was a central part of the Republican platform. The reason was decidedly simple — this law was derided as a “government takeover.” Never mind that no public option, the government-run health care plan many liberals wanted in the bill, was included. The part that the GOP has concentrated on is the individual mandate.
Because Republicans couldn’t stop the law in Congress, they have taken the fight to the courts. But for the second time in the last few months, a judge upheld the constitutionality of the individual mandate. According to The New York Times, Judges George C. Steeh and, most recently, Norman K. Moon ruled that the law does not violate the Constitution.
What alarms conservatives is how the bill’s provision functions. The individual mandate works in a fairly self-explanatory way. The law requires most individuals — there are some exceptions, mainly for religious reasons — to carry health insurance or to pay a $695 a year fine or 2.5 percent of their income, whichever is greater, according to Ezra Klein of The Washington Post.
The problem is that the individual mandate functions in a logical way. This unpopular policy is in the bill to back one of the most popular requirements, which bars insurance companies from denying people coverage because they have pre-existing conditions.
As someone with epilepsy, I am very thankful that this popular provision has been included. I have never had a problem while I have been on my parent’s insurance, but leaving my health insurance coverage up to fate once I must find my own insurer is not something I look forward to doing.
However, if this were to exist alone, premiums would skyrocket. Knowing that they could never be denied coverage, some citizens would seek out health insurance only when they are sick. Therefore, many of those in the insurance pool would be sick, be it deathly or minor, and insurers would have to charge higher premiums because they have less customers and higher bills.
Given that I have a pre-existing condition and a chance that I might not find coverage later in life were it not for this new law, I am willing to take the bad with the good. But it would be unfair to call this policy bad. Although citizens are required to buy insurance, the government provides generous subsidies for its citizens.
According to The Christian Science Monitor, the subsidies are offered to people who make up to four times the poverty level, which is $44,000 for a single person and $88,000 for a family of four. The subsidies would vary depending on the income level, but would ensure that no one has to spend a lump sum of their income on health care. With help, the individual mandate is not only a cost control measure, but also completely feasible.
Also, the GOP has supported this measure in the past. In the 1993 Republican alternative to President Bill Clinton’s plan, Subtitle F of Title I in the legislation requires everyone to have insurance unless there is a religious objection.
That sounds vaguely familiar. Strangely enough, Sens. Robert Bennett, R-UT, Orrin Hatch, R-UT, Chuck Grassley, R-IA, and Richard Lugar, R-IN, all signed onto this plan. These four men are still serving in the Senate, but they opposed it this time around.
Some may describe that as an ideology shift over the years, but the Healthy Americans Act, a bill sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR, contained an individual mandate and had five GOP co-sponsors, according to GovTrack.us. It was introduced in this current Congressional session as well.
Reversing stances this dramatically cannot be explained as an ideology shift, but as sheer political posturing. Not only is the mandate logical and doable, but also the minority has advocated the idea in the past and in this Congressional session.
Congressional Republicans care more about regaining the majority than moving this country forward.
Well, I offer them congratulations; this November they have reached that goal in one chamber of Congress and managed to divide the country at the same time.
Send Andrew comments at andrew.hedlund@asu.edu
