As of Monday, March 26, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court has started to hear the verbal arguments in the highly controversial and politically charged case of whether or not the healthcare reforms made by the Obama Administration starting in 2010 are constitutional.
Twenty six states have sent attorneys to represent them – primarily those with governors who are Republican – as well as the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) as they face off against the lawyers from the Justice Department.
They believe that the health care reform’s requirement for all Americans to purchase health insurance is illegal and is an example of an overreaching act of the government that is unprecedented. On the other hand, the Justice Department will argue that the regulation of interstate commerce is a routine use of the power of Congress.
It is predicted that the decision of the Supreme Court regarding what President Obama calls his proudest achievement, and what was by far the largest overhaul of the current healthcare system, will arrive near the end of June, in the heart of the 2012 presidential election.
Monday was the first of three days of oral arguments about whether or not the Affordable Care Act is truly constitutional. Though this act has been law since March 2010, it is the individual mandate that is primarily being challenged, and this does not become effective until January 2014. That is the mandate that says that if Americans choose to opt out of purchasing health insurance coverage, they will face a tax or financial penalty. The current number of uninsured Americans is estimated at approximately 50 million.