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If "Obamacare" falls, what's next for Congress?
May 29, 2012 |
11:01 a.m.
A rumor that the Supreme Court might rule on the health care case last week turned out to be just that. But, with the Court's decision drawing near, members of Congress have begun thinking about how they will react should the Court overturn the sprawling health care law. In the House, which has repeatedly voted to repeal the law, leadership says it remains committed to complete eradication, but some members have begun talking about the possibility of restoring some popular provisions.
If the Court overturns the law, what, if anything, should the Congress do next? What do you think they will do?
May 30, 2012 5:35 PM
Focus on ABCs for Children
By Dr. Robert Block
President, American Academy of Pediatrics
No matter how the Supreme Court rules on the fate of the Affordable Care Act, those of us who care for children will continue advocating for the “ABCs” of health care for all children in the United States: Access to health care services, age-appropriate Benefits, and health care Coverage. The law certainly addresses these goals and provides many more gains for child health, which is why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed the legislation two years ago and argued for its constitutionality in three separate briefs to the Supreme Court.
What isn’t being said enough in Washington during the projections and rumors of how and when the Court might rule is what the law has already done, particularly for our nation’s children. For the last two and a half years thanks to the Affordable Care Act, children are no longer denied care just because they have a pre-existing medical condition; young adults can remain on their parents’ insurance until they turn 26; essential preventive care services are provided with no cost-sh...
No matter how the Supreme Court rules on the fate of the Affordable Care Act, those of us who care for children will continue advocating for the “ABCs” of health care for all children in the United States: Access to health care services, age-appropriate Benefits, and health care Coverage. The law certainly addresses these goals and provides many more gains for child health, which is why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed the legislation two years ago and argued for its constitutionality in three separate briefs to the Supreme Court.
What isn’t being said enough in Washington during the projections and rumors of how and when the Court might rule is what the law has already done, particularly for our nation’s children. For the last two and a half years thanks to the Affordable Care Act, children are no longer denied care just because they have a pre-existing medical condition; young adults can remain on their parents’ insurance until they turn 26; essential preventive care services are provided with no cost-sharing for families; and insurance companies can no longer drop coverage when a child or adult gets sick. These are just a few of the many reforms already in effect, and they’re working.
However the Court rules on the fate of the Affordable Care Act, there will always be room for continued advocacy to Congress to ensure that children truly do receive the ABCs of health care, and the collective voices of the 60,000 pediatricians represented by the AAP will be far from silent.
Robert W. Block, MD, FAAP
President, American Academy of Pediatrics
Follow me on Twitter: @DrBobBlock
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