Montgomery County Officials Cheer Supreme Court Health Care Ruling
Officials call the ruling "historic."
Photos
Montgomery County officials Thursday enthusiastically supported the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act.
Del. Sam Arora, Dist. 19, Montgomery County, called the decision "historic."
“No longer must any American fear that he or she is one accident or illness away from bankruptcy," Arora said in a statement. "While some will focus on the political fallout, the most important result cannot be overlooked.
“The decision is better than historic, it is caring,” Arora said. “People now can get the care they need without the fear of financial devastation.”
Dr. Ulder Tillman, Montgomery County health officer, said shortly after the decision, "This is very exciting news for us."
Del. Kirill Reznik, Dist. 39, Germantown, said, "I am thrilled."
Rachel Baye, Montgomery County reporter for the DC Examiner, tweeted from a meeting of the county Health and Human Services Committe:
"MoCo Council Health and Human Services committee just cheered #scotus decision on healthcare."
"Now the MoCo Council Health and Human Services committee is having a hard time getting back to their discussion. Berliner looks giddy."
Tillman said the county had been taking its cues from the State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
"Maryland is way ahead in terms of implementation," said Reznik, a member of the Health and Government Operations Committee.
Reznik said Maryland was designated as a fast-track state, which mean it received grant money to put structures in place to implement the health care act.
Reznik said the Maryland Health Insurance Exchange, which will allow individuals and businesses to compare insurance plank, would be on track to be in place by Jan. 1, 2014.
Earlier, Reznik summarized the premise of the act in a Patch blog:
"A healthy society, where everyone can get access to affordable medical services, is a society where people can obtain services when they first need them, not when the illness is the most expensive or most difficult to cure. It is a society where workers are more productive, students learn better, and dealing with financial hardship due to a significant illness is a thing of the past. However, to achieve this type of society and maintain a consumer-based health care system, insurance companies that pay for most of these medical services need to balance the risks of ensuring the sick by also insuring the healthy. "
In an informal Patch poll in Montgomery County this week, a majority of those who voted said the high court should not overturn the law.
One commenter said asking a simple poll question was unfair because "not even Congress seems to have a full grasp" of the law's consequences. Still, the reader said, it's reasonable to expect a national health plan despite criticism "mostly from well-to-do people who HAVE health care coverage, telling us that this is socialism."
Another reader was surprised at the high percentage of uninsured in Montgomery County.
About 12 percent of Montgomery County residents are uninsured, slightly lower than the state average of 13 percent and higher than the national average of 11 percent.
Want to know more about the ins and outs of the ruling?
Check out the Huffington Post coverage and Scotusblog, which purports to be President Obama's source for Supreme Court news.
This story was update at 11:44 am to insert comments from Arora.
Richard Rice
11:43 am on Thursday, June 28, 2012
I agree that we need to help the poor w/health care issues, however I do
thinki we are getting to be much more of a socialist society and less of
a democracy. A good day for the disadvantaged and I applaud this.
Vida444
12:17 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Are you saying that all the other countries (ex. France, England, Brazil, Chile, Japan and so on) are socialist countries??? They all have Universal Health Care. You should study more about what is a socialist society before using that term.
RVN6768
7:32 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
Who do you morons think is going to pay for the trillion dollar tax increase?
Henriot St. Gerard
12:43 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
we need to be a bit more creative with our arguments cause slapping the word socialist to anything done with this administration is stale and run its course.
more constructive dialogue can be achieved without throwing a bunch of buzz words youve heard other use.
Brigitta Mullican
1:33 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
"The Supreme Court just released their decision on Obama's Affordable Care Act (ACA), and their decision is that all components of the law - including the individual mandate requiring citizens buy private health insurance - are upheld and declared constitutional.
This decision does not end the fight for expanded and improved Medicare-for-all. We know that our community members' health needs will not be met by the ACA.
We already have the infrastructure in place to create a national single-payer system by simply expanding Medicare to everyone, and excluding private health insurance companies.
We urge you to:
1. Send emails, and then calls, to your Congress members and the President;
2. Write letters to the editors of your local newspapers explaining why we still need a universal publicly-financed healthcare system;
3. Hold public demonstrations outside of private health insurance companies or hospitals. Or attend one of these:
- Washington, DC - Today
- Albany, Rochester, Ithaca, New York City (PNHP) - Today
- Memphis, TN - Today
- New York City, NY (OWS) - Today at 11:30am and Friday, June 29 at 5pm
- Louisville, KY - Friday, June 29 at 4pm
B Allen
8:33 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
What the democrats in MD like about it is that WE, THE PEOPLE will have to pay higher taxes for it. The Supreme Court ruled that YES IT IS A TAX. This "Affordable healthcare" bumk is just that...BUNK. It is a term to lie and decieve the people of the USA. Those who support it, NEVER even read it. Just like that knucklehead Pelosi siad, "lets pass it and then we will find out what is in it"...well, Surprise... Surprise!!! the people of the US have been "HAD". You people that want handouts should go to Venezuala or Cuba. Ask yourself, why are people coming to the USA for medical treatment? Because they can't get it on their "affordable healthcare" socialist program. I have a friend from England who had to bring his mother here for cancer treatment because she could not get it in England, she was as the government people said "too old". Anyone who believes this crap is a fool.
Brigitta Mullican
1:34 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
continued..
The ACA:
- Will not achieve universal coverage--at least 26 million people will remain uninsured.
- Will not control healthcare costs, leaving Americans vulnerable to bankruptcy.
- Embeds private, for-profit insurance in the system's core, allowing them to continue to profit and game the system at our health's expense.
While a national single-payer system, such as the one proposed in Representative Conyers' (D-MI) National Health Care Act (HR676), would:
- Cover all necessary medical care for everyone living in the US from birth to death.
- Reduce healthcare spending by a minimum of $400 billion a year by significantly reducing administrative costs.
- Remove for-profit insurers from the system along with their excessive profits and CEO salaries.
Please take swift action now with the message: Medicare: improve it and expand it to everyone!
In solidarity for single-payer,
Healthcare-NOW! National Staff and Steering Committee
RVN6768
7:34 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
Who do you morons think is going to pay for the trillion dollar tax increase?
Corbin Dallas Multipass
8:04 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
The people those taxes are levied against?
Susan S. Berkheimer
3:03 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Why are all comments flagged as inappropriate because the comment did not agree with The Supreme Court decision ? There is a hospital in our area that provides free or reduced fee maternity service to expectant mothers now.Most of us give to many needy citizens and families through county efforts or church sponsered efforts. Our family has provided for our health benefits through work-related health care programs. ssberk@msn.com
Joe Thomas
9:01 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
The comments are not flagged as inappropriate unless they disappear. The icon you see is there in case the comment IS inappropriate and then you can bring it to the attention of the moderator.
Danna Walker
3:09 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Great discussion. Any thoughts on why Montgomery County officials are so in favor of the ruling?
Corbin Dallas Multipass
5:19 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
The article seems to indicate that Maryland had doubled down on the state level to start implementing changes that would give them more money earlier. Some of that inevitably would end up in the hands of the county, so if the ACA had been struck down it wouldn't have gotten there. Considering the budget is already at a shortfall according to other recent articles it would have been pretty miserable for county administration if that additional funding was put in jeopardy.
Nathan
4:24 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Okay Brigitta I think EVERYONE can clearly see you're against the Health Bill. I thinks some points you bring up are valid but I also believe everyone should have access to health care. Besides if something in the bill isn't working it can always be tweaked to fix it......Nothing is perfect but people should at least give it a chance and see how it works out.
Sandra James
8:33 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
Nathan, Yes, everyone should have access to affordable health care, but you know it well that many won't. How about the many unemployed, that have lost their jobs over the years (and it's growing daily the number of unemployed). I would assume the unemployed probably had some form of health care while previously employed. Have you ever seen the premium for COBRA (the cost is more than you would probably get from your unemployment weekly check). For those that are illegally here (have you reviewed the latest census), how many are actually legally employed? They do not pay taxes and how will the IRS check to see that they have the mandated minimum coverage? Who will continue to pick up the tab for their care? The new bill will bring down the cost of insurance (please dont hold your breath for this), make it more efficient (really, how is this). Gov. O'Malley and his staff applaud as they've run out of ways to get more money from us (face it, the bag tax was really digging deep). And everyone should own a home (The American Dream). WHAT NEXT?
RVN6768
7:36 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
Many young people do not want to pay the expense of healthcare, now they will have to or be penalized (taxed).
Corbin Dallas Multipass
7:51 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
Sandra, the county was responsible for the bag tax, not O'Malley.
Brigitta Mullican
12:26 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
Nathan, there is some good and agreement by both parties on the health care plan but the mandate is not good. I don't expect anything to be perfect but do expect there to be more discussions on the national health care plan. Everyone has access to health care now if they go to a hospital. Sanda made some good points also. Thank you. I believe in hearing both sides of the argument. I pay my taxes and have my opinion on how it gets spent.
Corbin Dallas Multipass
8:00 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
What is the agreement by both parties? The republican talking point since yesterday's court decision has been to repeal the entire bill. Both sides of the argument from a party perspective are incompatible and not acknowledging that is ignoring reality.
I'm sorry but the serious centrist "both sides of the argument" doesn't work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGArqoF0TpQ&feature=relmfu
jf
1:55 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
The management and administration of health care is another sector vital to the delivery of health care services. In particular, the practice of health professionals and operation of health care institutions is typically regulated by national or state/provincial authorities through appropriate regulatory bodies for purposes of quality assurance. Thanks a lot.
Regards,
http://www.hcg1234.com/ | hcg1234
fgdf
9:34 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The database should list the health care worker applicants' personal information, contact information, professional credentials, employment history, references and preferred employment situation. Thanks.
Regards,
http://www.ipc-athletics.org/
James Hardy
9:12 am on Monday, December 10, 2012
I absolutely agree that we need to help the less fortunate with health care issues, the question is - how do we accomplish this?
http://crystalwilkinson.com/diy/magic-mesh-reviews-a-closer-look/
Joe Johnson
10:38 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
I've done some research and I do think there are viable ways to do this. PM me for exciting details.http://ubiquitousmarketing.com/supplements/zquiet-reviews-a-closer-look/ and http://ubiquitousmarketing.com/recovery/can-walkfit-platinum-help-you/