6-3 = 6.4 Million | National Catholic Reporter

6-3 = 6.4 Million | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: The ACA is essentially the Heritage Foundation approach to health care reform (the liberal approach is single payer, or a public option that will lead to single payer), but with taxes on unearned or the PC term, non-wage income acrued by the wealthiest taxpayers.  Since then, these financial worthies have been funding any and all approaches to overturn the law, since a corrections bill that simply repeals the taxes would either have to install a larger VAT or be ruled out of order under the Budget Act.  Of course, any corrections bill would not pass this Congress anyway, even to correct the flaws in the language.



That kind of partisanship is the source of Justice Scalia's dissent.  The definition of a rigged process would be a Congress that cannot function or compromise and a judiciary that will not act.  Luckily, we have gone beyond that in this country.



It is no surprise that Chief Justice Roberts led an approach in upholding the provision of the law that he has taken since his service on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.  His respect is for the law, not the current regime.  If it all possible, he will find a construction that makes a law passed by Congress constitutional or uphold the workability of a statue rather than going with the unworkable alternative.



Sister Carol's remarks show why the ACA exists.  Hospitals care for everyone, especially in her Association. Formerly, public hospitals did the same thing - but they have largely been overrun by for-profit hospital chains and HMOs, which may not treat patients beyond stabilizing them if they don't want to.  The ACA means that all of these hospitals should have someone to bill, rather than sending collections departments and agencies after their patients. It also means that, at least in theory, individuals can see a primary care doctor before their disease becomes an emergency - although perhaps sick leave reform is necessary to make that possiblility a reality.  Still, it was a good day.