By Hazel Trice Edney
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The U. S. Supreme Court this week is expected to decide whether to repeal, uphold or alter President Barack Obama’s health care reform law, placing Black leaders of Congress on edge and preparing for a re-election battle whichever way the ruling comes down.
“For 99 years, presidents have been trying to do this. Finally, our president has made it possible for each and every American,” said Congresswoman Donna M. Christian-Christensen (D – V.I.), a medical doctor who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus’ Health Braintrust. “Racial and ethnic minorities who have been left outside the door of the health care system are now able to get in. And now there is this extra help for individuals who have not been inside the health care system. We could lose that…But, if we don’t have President Obama and Democrats running this country, we’ll never have the opportunity to fix anything that the Supreme Court might undo,” she said in an interview.
Opponents of the law include 26 states, the National Federation of Independent Business, Liberty University and the Thomas More Law Center. The Court is expected to rule Thursday, June 28.
U. S. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), assistant Democratic leader of the House of Representatives and the highest elected Black representative said the health care issue is crucial to Black America – just as important as the economy – if not more.
“All of us need to be talking about health care more than anything else,” Clyburn said in an interview. “The fact of the matter is that health care is not about Obamacare. Health care is about those children born with juvenile diabetes being able to have insurance and they cannot have it otherwise; it’s about women with breast cancer, men with prostate cancer not being denied treatment [due to pre-existing conditions]. It’s about children being able to stay on their parents’ insurance policies up until their 27th birthday. That is what this is about; not Obamacare or any other sound bite.”
The Affordable Care Act, signed into law by the President on March 23, 2010, has been highly politicized, called “Obamacare” by many since President Obama pushed for it as his first major piece of legislation. Proponents, instead, have called the law “Obama Cares”, arguing that without the legislative African-Americans and the poor would be affected greater than other Americans.
Dr. Leonard Weather, former president of the National Medical Association, listed the following specific benefits of the law in the Black community in a column for the Trice Edney News Wire:
Lower Costs for African-American Families
- Lifetime limits on insurance coverage is eliminated and bans insurance companies from dropping people from coverage when they get sick.
- The new health insurance exchanges and all new plans will have a cap on out-of-pocket expenses such as co-pays and deductibles.
- People who cannot afford quality health insurance will receive tax credits starting in 2014.
- Medicare beneficiaries will receive a 50 percent discount on brand name drugs in the donut hole and complete closure in 2020.
Greater Choices
- Insurance company discrimination is eliminated such as denying children coverage based on preexisting conditions.
- Going forward, the Act will prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage to all individuals.
- It provides more affordable choices and competition by creating state based health insurance exchanges.
Strong Focus on Minority Health
- The National Institute of Minority Health is created reflecting an enhanced focus on minority health.
Quality, Affordable Health Care for African-Americans
- Preventive care for better health requires new plans to cover prevention and wellness benefits at no charge, exempting these from deductibles.
- Co-payments for preventive services are eliminated.
- It ensures that all Americans have access to free preventive services.
- Community health teams are provided to improve management of chronic disease that will help 50 percent of African-Americans who suffer from them.
- Primary care workforce is enhanced to ensure that all Americans have access to a primary care doctor.
- Moves toward elimination of disparities that African-Americans currently face both in health and health care by investing in data collection and research about health disparities.
- Strengthens cultural competency training to health care providers.
Despite the outcome of this week’s ruling, Christian-Christensen says CBC members are ready to push for President Obama’s re-election. She said, “We will go out after the convention to really get people charged up to get to the polls to vote.”