The issue of healthcare insurance has become extremely controversial. According to statistics recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 49.9 million Americans were without health insurance in 2010. For most of the uninsured, the biggest factor was cost. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 40 million adults said they needed health services such as medical care, prescription medicines, mental health care and dental care, but could not receive it simply because they could not afford it. To remedy this national issue, President Barack Obama presented ObamaCare, a national health care plan designed to make healthcare more accessible and affordable to the American population. On June 28, 2012, the President released a statement following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the constitutionality of ObamaCare: “Here in America, in the wealthiest nation on earth, no accident or illness should lead to any families’ financial ruin.”
Ever since its introduction in 2009, ObamaCare, also known as the Affordable Health Care Act, has been an extremely controversial topic. Because the federal government does not have the right to enforce a healthcare program in states, many people have questioned the program’s constitutionality and whether or not it is a violation of the Tenth Amendment. A largely debated issue seems to be the mandate that all Americans must have health insurance, regardless of whether or not they want it. Some agree with The Journal Gazette contributor, Gloria Dance, who has argued that healthcare is an inevitability that is a necessity rather than a choice. “Anyone who has suffered any medical or health issues would surely agree that regaining your health and being able to go about your daily routine is our greatest human need. So why are there politicians who decry the requirement by the government to have health insurance? It is a necessity!” However, there are also others, like SocialistWorker.org contributor, Helen Redmond, who would prefer the power to choose. “The individual mandate is cause for outrage. It will hold millions of people hostage to the very industry that is responsible for the health care crisis that leaves 52 million uninsured, a record number of bankruptcies due to unpaid medical bills, and whose routine denial of treatment has resulted in disability and death… millions of Americans have come out against the mandate, not because they’re right wingers, but because they hate the insurance industry and don’t want to be forced to buy coverage.”
Nathan Cortez, a professor at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, believes that if we do not want to put our faith in our representatives, we must instead, put faith in ourselves and our fellow voters. “If we want our democratically elected representatives to be able tackle modern economic problems of national scale — and health spending certainly is one — then we have to trust our political processes, not just courts. Politically, it would be absurd to require everyone to buy Chevy trucks or broccoli, which is probably why even states, which aren’t constrained by the Commerce Clause, haven’t tried. Voters are the safeguard here, which is something the Constitution anticipates.”
Though every individual has his or her own beliefs regarding ObamaCare, ultimately, we must have faith in ourselves and our fellow voters, although we may disagree with the majority’s opinion.
Alexandria Lee
I'm Alexandria Lee, but call me Alex. I attending Glendale Academy as a senior this year.
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whoa whoa whoa- break up your article! especially when writing news, you should have each individual idea or quote in separate paragraphs. it’ll make it easier for the reader to understand and for you to write.
also, remember not to insert your own opinion into the article– if there’s any opinion, it should be from a quote. (ex: last paragraph).
and your first paragraph should essentially sum up the article, and have a maximum of 20-30 words– don’t make it too long.
otherwise g’job! especially when tackling a huge subject like universal health care.
Great job Alex! Your article was very informative, and I enjoyed reading it. Next time, try to shorten up your quotes a bit, and like the other Sally mentioned, avoid inputting too much of your own opinion. Keep up the good work!:)