The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision supporting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is one of monumental proportions. Despite the politics, the presidential election and the Congressional infighting, I am proud to say that one conservative judge (Chief Justice John Roberts) stood above the fray to make a decision that was best for the American people. Due to this decision, more than 30 million Americans will now receive health insurance. Good health care will now be viewed as a right of all Americans, rich or poor, and not just a privilege for those who are wealthy.
In 2010, more than 8 million African Americans did not have health insurance. The Hispanic community had the highest uninsured rate at 30.7 percent. Even in the white community, 37 million were without health insurance in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So, as you can see, the lack of affordable health care was not necessarily racially-motivated, but economically-driven. Â
The Affordable Care Act sides with the nation’s working poor and disenfranchised who may have no other means of paying for healthcare. Those who live in poverty, the working poor and the slipping middle class often live without health insurance.
People with pre-existing medical conditions could not receive medical insurance. Lifetime limits were also placed on coverage, which allowed insurance companies to drop patients who were chronically ill. The costs of preventive care were often prohibitive for those who needed to obtain vital medical screenings, such as mammograms and colonoscopies. Many senior citizens also could not afford their life-saving prescription medications due to increasing cost.
As a result of the Affordable Care Act’s passage in 2010 and the recent Supreme Court decision regarding its constitutionality, all U.S. citizens will be required to have health insurance by 2014. Those who can’t afford medical insurance may qualify for an expanded Medicaid program or tax credits to offset the costs. In addition, state health insurance exchanges will be created to offer affordable medical coverage to those who are not covered by their employer plans.
For the first time in history, healthcare will become more accessible to the masses. Health screenings will be offered at no charge, prescription medication will be discounted and patients will no longer be denied coverage due to pre-existing illness.
Not since the passage of the Social Security Act has the United States embarked upon such an expansion of its social safety net. The fact that more than 50 million Americans are without health insurance legitimizes the need for healthcare reform.
For decades various presidents have tried to pass a formidable plan to no avail. It was only under the presidency of President Barack Obama, a bi-racial young man who lost his white mother to cancer due to insufficient health coverage, that a national health care law was enacted. Now, we must vote and let our voice be heard to make sure that the Affordable Care Act remains a law.
Buford is president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
