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Villaraigosa, Bass, Boxer, others applaud Supreme Court for upholding Affordable Care Act

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Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa issued the following statement Thursday in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the basic provision of the Affordable Care Act:

“Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court to uphold the basic provisions of the Affordable Care Act is a historic step forward for our country. Healthcare for each and every individual is not a privilege; it’s a right. This morning’s decision is a victory for all Americans, and I could not be prouder.

“By upholding the Affordable Care Act the Supreme Court ensured 3.1 million young people–including 435,000 young Californians–will maintain their coverage. The court’s ruling protects Americans with preexisting conditions and provides them with access to the safe and secure healthcare options that were once out of reach. By ruling that those people who can afford to buy insurance have an obligation to do so, the court has reaffirmed the bedrock principle of personal responsibility. And most importantly, the court’s ruling moves our nation one step closer to the ultimate goal of providing healthcare for all. More than 30 million Americans will gain affordable healthcare with the enactment of this bill. This is a momentous achievement that should be rightly celebrated.

“Despite today’s victory, our work is not done. America still spends more than any other nation for health insurance. The Affordable Care Act provides important protections to curb the skyrocketing cost of healthcare and lessen the impact on the nation’s budget. In fact, according to official estimates, the law will lower the federal deficit by $143 billion by 2019. It is now incumbent on our nation’s leaders to ensure the successful implementation of this bill. We must halt the opponents of progress who seek to ‘repeal and replace’ this important step towards universal coverage.

“I applaud the Supreme Court’s leadership and decision to put the American people ahead of partisan politics. Their ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act reaffirms our country’s commitment to the health and financial security of our people.”
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U.S. Rep. Karen Bass made the following statement today after the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court which declared the entire Affordable Care Act constitutional:

“Today’s historic decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act is extremely welcomed news. The American people can now rest assured and claim today as a victory, as everyone in our country will receive quality healthcare that each person is entitled to.

“When President Obama promised the American people that he would create a system that provided healthcare at a minimum cost, he did just that. With the Affordable Care Act, healthcare is once again a basic human right that allows families to receive quality care without having to spend every penny they earn.

“I’m pleased that the Supreme Court held firmly to their principles and did not politicize this important decision. Now, the Affordable Care Act can do what the American people need it to do, including providing millions of Americans access to cancer-screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies, ensuring coverage for millions who have preexisting conditions and youth who remain on their parent’s coverage; and finally give seniors a stronger Medicare program.”
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U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the Affordable Care Act:

“The Supreme Court’s ruling is a victory for America’s families, who deserve affordable healthcare.

“The decision is great news for the millions of Californians who have already seen the benefits of this law–including the 6 million who now have access to free preventive health services, 355,000 young adults who now have coverage on their parents’ health plans and 320,000 seniors who have received help in paying for their prescription drugs.

“Now Americans will have the certainty of knowing they won’t be denied coverage because of a preexisting condition. Women won’t be charged a higher premium because of their gender. And families struggling with serious illnesses will not face lifetime limits on coverage.

“We will continue to fight Republican efforts to repeal these important health benefits while we work to make sure every American has access to quality, affordable healthcare.”
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Assembly member Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) issued this statement in response to the United States Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act:

“Today the Supreme Court reaffirmed the hard work President Obama and Congress undertook two years ago to bring our healthcare system up to speed with the needs of the 21st century.

“The Affordable Care Act puts in place a series of commonsense measures to protect patients from the worst insurance company abuses, while ensuring that those who can afford insurance on their own do not become free riders on the system.

“The Court’s decision today protects those gains, and will help millions of Americans keep their insurance if they have it, or get a new affordable plan if they don’t.

“Like President Obama, I look forward to moving the country forward on more pressing issues like jobs and the economy, now that the Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act.”

Bradford represents the 51st Assembly District, comprised of the cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Lawndale and Inglewood, and the communities of Athens, Lennox, South Central Los Angeles, Westchester, Willowbrook, Playa Vista, and parts of Ladera Heights and West Compton.
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Statement from Congresswoman Laura Richardson:

“The Supreme Court ruled today in favor of all hard working Americans by upholding the Affordable Care Act. After a two-year legal battle, the Supreme Court confirmed today that the reforms in the Affordable Care Act will continue to provide millions of Americans with health coverage.

“Millions of young Americans will continue to receive coverage through their family plans until they are 26. The law protects women and minorities from discrimination in healthcare, and will expand healthcare coverage to millions of Americans. The Affordable Care Act will now take its rightful place alongside of Social Security and Medicare as powerful examples of what this country can do to improve the lives of every American.

“The Affordable Care Act has put Americans and their families, not the health insurance companies, back in charge of their health care,” said Congresswoman Richardson. “It includes a Patient’s Bill of Rights – that, in addition to allowing young adults to remain on their parents’ health plan until age 26, also prohibits insurers from dropping people from coverage when they get sick, placing lifetime limits on coverage, and denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. All of these reforms are already helping American families today and must be maintained. I am happy that the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the law,” said Congresswoman Richardson.
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Statement from Will Watts, Public Counsel’s director of Homelessness Prevention:

“The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will help all Americans to obtain healthcare that covers more and costs less. It is also good news for millions of Americans struggling with homelessness or poverty who can’t afford to buy health insurance.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling protects the ability of states and local governments to expand quality care to those least able to afford it. Programs such as Healthy Way LA, Los Angeles County’s bridge to healthcare reform for more than 100,000 individuals and families, are already having an impact in people’s lives.

“Through Healthy Way LA, many Angelenos who for years depended on emergency rooms for basic healthcare needs or suffered in silence can now have a medical home. They will have what every American should have: a doctor who knows them and their family and a chance to prevent illnesses before they become life-threatening. The Supreme Court’s decision strengthens Los Angeles’ network of public healthcare and private clinics and will improve care and reduce costs for everyone who lives here.

“This decision comes at a critical time. The California Legislature’s vote yesterday to dismantle the Healthy Families program for 880,000 children shows states continue to struggle with balancing budgets and protecting healthcare for vulnerable families. State and local governments should use incentives in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to expand healthcare for those least able to afford it.

“We applaud the decision today on behalf of the hundreds of volunteers in Public Counsel CARES, the many community-based healthcare clinics we represent, and the thousands of Angelenos who we assist in becoming healthy families every day.”
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United Nurses applaud Supreme Court decision to affirm affordable healthcare:

The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) heartily endorses the Supreme Court’s decision affirming the Affordable Care Act, which will give 34 million uninsured Americans healthcare, as well as provide significantly strengthened consumer rights and protections for all insured.

“This is not just an abstract legal decision. Real lives and the heartbreak of real families will be saved because of it. We’ve got more people in California dying each year because they don’t have health insurance than any other state in the country. But thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the vast majority of us will be covered,” said Barbara Blake, RN, UNAC/UHCP secretary-treasurer.

“As nurses and healthcare professionals we would never turn away from a sick patient. This act makes that bedrock moral stance the law of the land by preventing insurers from turning away Americans with pre-existing conditions from their coverage,” said Ken Deitz, RN, president of UNAC/UHCP. “Nowhere does that mean more than here in California, where more residents are denied coverage for pre-existing conditions than in any other state.”

“We’ve worked long and hard to expand the availability of affordable, good quality healthcare in this country. The U.S. Supreme Court did the right thing today by maintaining President Obama’s Affordable Care Act for the benefit of all Americans,” said Blake.
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National Community Pharmacists Association CEO B. Douglas Hoey, issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the health care reform:

“America’s healthcare system should be less costly, more efficient and drive better outcomes for patients. Pharmacists have shown, when properly utilized, that the aforementioned principles can be achieved through the medication counseling and other services they provide to millions of patients. During the healthcare reform debate NCPA played a constructive role in offering recommendations for provisions that could improve the care independent community pharmacies offer, with a premium being placed on maintaining access.

“We strived for more coordination with healthcare providers across the spectrum; reforms that embrace the free-market ethos of fairness and transparency; reimbursement levels that take into account budget constraints for payors and are financially sustainable for providers; and ensuring that successful programs are embraced further. NCPA and its members will continue to work closely with Congress and the White House, in a bipartisan fashion, to offer common-sense solutions for the challenges we face for the remainder of this year and in the future.

“The healthcare reform law that was upheld by the Supreme Court includes bipartisan provisions intended to achieve reasonable reimbursement for Medicaid generic prescription drugs, although the implementation process to date has been disappointing. There are also transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers in the healthcare exchanges set to launch in 2014. Medication therapy management will be expanded in Medicare. Independent community pharmacies remain exempted from the duplicative accreditation requirement for selling Medicare Part B durable medical equipment. Mechanisms have been put in place for the inclusion of pharmacies in Accountable Care Organizations and Medical Homes. In the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision and the government’s response to it, NCPA will continue to prioritize these issues because, left unaddressed in a prudent fashion, it is patients that will suffer the consequences. “
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Liberty Counsel released a statement opposing the Supreme Court ruling:

Today, in a surprising 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the “individual mandate” of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as “ObamaCare,” ruling that while the law exceeds Congress’s authority under the Commerce Clause, it is authorized under the Taxing and Spending Clause. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the liberal justices of the Court to make the 5-4 majority.

Mat Staver, founder and president of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University School of Law, said: “This is a stunning decision to uphold ObamaCare as a tax. Congress relied upon the Commerce Clause, not the Taxing and Spending Clause. The court ignored the intent of Congress, which did not intend the mandate to be a tax but rather a penalty. Rulings like this on ObamaCare undermine the confidence of the people in the competency of the Supreme Court to follow the rule of law. Today’s decision damages the image of the Supreme Court and is bad for America.

“ObamaCare is the largest funding of abortion in history. It will bankrupt America. It will destroy our healthcare system. The law must now be repealed,” Staver said. “Elections have consequences. ObamaCare is the result of squandered votes cast in 2008. This November, we need to elect principled people who will repeal ObamaCare,” concluded Staver.
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Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair and California Democratic Party Vice Chair Eric C. Bauman issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act:

“I applaud the Supreme Court’s ruling this morning to uphold the Affordable Care Act, the signature piece of legislation of President Obama’s first term. More than 44 million Americans without insurance will not lose their opportunity to get healthcare or be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition, and those who are insured no longer face the threat of losing their coverage if they get sick.

“History always looks kindly on those who show strength and leadership in the face of extreme adversity. Simply put, President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation of the last fifty years – legislation that Mitt Romney and the Republicans fought at every turn.

“The slim majority of the court’s justices that upheld healthcare reform today should serve as a lesson on the vital importance of reelecting our president and keeping the extremists Mitt Romney has pledged to appoint off of the bench.”
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California Black Health Network applauds Supreme Court Decision on Affordable Health Care:

Today, the Supreme Court announced its ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and California Black Health Network was quick to respond to the court’s decision that overturned key pieces of this important, landmark legislation.

Calvin Freeman, chairman of the board of directors of California Black Health Network said: “We are extremely disappointed that the Supreme Court decided against upholding the entire law. The ACA has already shown its merit in California by expanding coverage to millions of low-income individuals, many of them African Americans who were previously uninsured. In the two years since the legislation was passed and signed into law by President Obama, approximately 8,600 individuals in California now have coverage through the Pre-Existing Insurance Program (PCIP) and a new state law that ensures children have access to private coverage regardless of their health status. This is only one of many benefits realized by Californians over the past two years since the passage of the Affordable Care Act. We are not going to turn back now. CBHN will continue this work to increase health insurance coverage for all Californians. We will do everything in our power to ensure African Americans and all Californian’s are able to live healthier lives in healthy communities.”

Darcel Lee, executive director of California Black Health Network said: “The Court’s decision was another unfortunate and shortsighted blow for America. Thanks to the court’s decision we can expect more death among those who are already struggling to survive; more preventable diseases among those who have little or no access to care; and, more seniors in low-income communities who cannot afford to pay for badly needed prescription drugs. I am sure people throughout the world are scratching their heads and wondering why America, the richest country in the world, will not bring health insurance within the reach of all of its people. The Affordable Care Act stands on its own merit. Just check the data. From expansion of coverage for low-income individuals to coverage for those with pre-existing conditions to improved data collection allowing us to address the unique health needs of California’s diverse population, to seniors who are now getting help in affording their prescription drugs, the Affordable Care Act has and is making a difference. The California Black Health Network will not let this decision determine the future of our communities. We intend to continue to advocate. We are even more motivated to advocate for improved access to care for California’s safety net population. Disparities must be eliminated. Our vision of healthy families in healthy communities throughout California must be realized. That will be our goal. We are committed to moving this work forward.”

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