'Obamacare'

It's been a while since I've written a political post and I know I need to start doing it more, but today's news was one I'd be foolish not to mention a little something about. Today the Supreme Court announced that the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was constitutional.

Now of course Republicans are now bashing the Supreme Court -- or at least Chief Justice John Roberts -- and still claiming the Constitution has been destroyed. I find that reasoning laughable because it would seem the people who would know the Constitution best would be the Justices. But to be fair both parties say they know the Constitution better than the other party and cry foul when they don't get their way. That's basically just human nature.

I, for one, am happy the law was not struck down. I'm not saying I'm happy about the law in its entirety. Mostly because I don't think it goes far enough. I think we need universal health care. But, the routinely called Obamacare is a start. So, in case you have been living in a cave for the past couple of years or only have been focusing on the mandate and not the other parts here's what the new law will do:

1. Provide access for millions of Americans to get preventive services such as cancer screenings, blood pressure tests and flu shots. Oh, and those Americans will not have to put forth a co-pay for those services like they do now.
2. Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to people because of pre-existing conditions, which could be anything insurance companies want including just being a woman.
3. Young people can remain on their parents' health insurance until they are 26 instead of until they are 18 or graduate from college as the previous system allowed.
4. Insurance companies can no longer spend as much as 40 percent of premiums on administrative overhead like CEO salaries and marketing.
5. Americans who fall into the Medicare "doughnut hole" will no longer lose crucial discounts on prescriptions.

So, those are the biggies under this law. Other aspects include tax incentives for businesses and individuals and expanding coverage to millions more Americans.

After the ruling a lot of people in the Republican Party started saying they will repeal the law. So, I ask what would you replace it with? I am getting sick and tired of Republican presidential candidate Willard "Mitt" Romney saying President Obama is bad for this country and his policies are bad but not saying in detailed fashion what he would do differently. Republicans are the same way. They say they will repeal it but won't say what they will replace it with. They say Obama's immigration policy is bad but won't say what they will replace it with other than securing the border. They say his energy policy is bad but won't say what they will do except drill baby drill.

Republicans also are now saying "look, President Obama raised your taxes. He's evil and must be stopped." Well, I end my blog with this:

Did you know that there is no penalty. It says directly in the law that if you choose not to participate you will not be subject to any punishment (I can find you the direct language if you want). Oh, and by that rationale then Romney raised taxes on everybody in Massachusetts but I'm guessing you will still vote for him, a tax raiser. Let's not forget too that Reagan raised taxes 11 times. Just saying...oh, and while we're at it, let's also not forget that Republicans called for a mandate in the 1990s. It was their idea!!! Now I can't honestly say that every Republican was for the mandate but the Republicans on Capitol Hill sure did. So before you go bashing this law because of a "tax" remember all the Republicans and their history of also increasing taxes!