http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ … story.htmlThe Supreme Court opened its historic review of the national health-care overhaul Monday with an indication that it will be able to decide the constitutional question of whether Congress exceeded its powers despite arguments that the challenge was brought too soon.
The court began the first of three days of oral arguments on the 2010 law by examining a statute that keeps courts from hearing tax challenges before they go into effect. But the justices’ questions indicated skepticism that the penalties prescribed for those who do not buy health insurance by 2014 amount to taxes under the 1867 law forbidding tax challenges.
The court on Tuesday will hear arguments about the so-called “individual mandate” that is at the heart of the health-care law.
For Aussies and Euros who are unfamiliar with the law and how things work- The health care plan being discused was the one democrats passed in '10. The bill manages to bring down healthcare insurance cost by forcing everyone to have insurance. By having the healthy people who would go without insurance buy it the insurance companies can afford the to take a hit on covering people who have preexisting conditions (normally they would be denied coverage). It allows adds some other things mostly meant to make things better for consumers. For instance, you can stay on your parents health insurance until 27 now as long as you are student. It also has a slight tax on people who make over a million dollars. Now our supreme court is going to hear the case. Now the court is going to determine whether the health insurance mandate violates some part of the constitution. If it does, according to them, then the law will be struck down. If they don't think it violates it, the law stays. The Supreme court is the final determiner in this case. Unless they go through the long process of amending the constitution (which will not happen for anything as of right now) the law will stand or fall.
So, do you think it will stand? Do you think it's a good thing or bad thing? Will doctors face wage suppression? Death panels?!
