COVID-19 & Healthcare

Big win today for ‘ObamaCare’ at SCOTUS, evil GOP bastards’ plans to destroy ‘ObamaCare’ thwarted again

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ACAThe big decision from the U.S. Supreme Court today is a 6-3 ruling by Chief Justice John Roberts in King v. Burwell, rejecting the fraud perpetrated upon the Court by the Libertarian lawyers who brought this meritless case (more on this point later), and upholding the Affordable Care Act subsidies for those who are participating in the ACA through the federal run exchanges. Here is the opinion in King v. Burwell (.pdf).

Millions of words have been published over the past year in speculation about what the evil GOP bastards in Congress would do in response to a Supreme Court decision in favor of the plaintiffs gutting the ACA subsidies in the the federal run exchanges. All of their evil plans to destroy “ObamaCare” after a favorable court decision now lie in ruins. The GOP’s hostage taking strategy just evaporated into the ether.

Today’s decision is a complete victory for the Obama administration — and for American consumers of health care insurance. See the New York Times today, Measuring Health Insurance Subsidies’ Success (h/t NY Times photo above).

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The deeply weird religious dogma behind that “reverse your abortion” law

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Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

Paul-VI-poster1

Bob Robb did a column a few weeks ago where he criticized anti-choice SB1318 because it infringed on the liberty of doctors:

I’m generally pro-life and support most legislative restrictions on abortion. I don’t think exploring the limits of Roe v. Wade through litigation is a waste of time or resources.

Many of the Arizona restrictions struck down by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals have been upheld in other jurisdictions. Arizona lawmakers shouldn’t be idle simply because Arizona is stuck with the most liberal federal appeals court in the land.

But the pro-life movement goes too far when it attempts through legislation to dictate what a doctor can tell a patient.

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SCOTUS Watch: the ‘Big 6’ will be announced on Thursday, Friday and Monday (Updated)

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SupremeCourtThe U.S. Supreme Court today cleared away almost all of the low lying fruit, leaving the “Big 6” decisions to be announced this Thursday or next Monday.

UPDATE: The Court has added Friday as well!

This Court really loves all the drama queen attention.

There is no way to predict which opinions will be announced on which day, or what combination of opinions will be announced on each day. But there will be landmark decisions announced on both Thursday, Friday and Monday. A week from today all the suspense will be over, and the next round of games will begin!

Here are the remaining opinions to be issued (h/t SCOTUSblog.com):

Johnson v. U.S., No. 13-7120

Issue(s): (1) Whether mere possession of a short-barreled shotgun should be treated as a violent felony under the Armed Career Criminal Act. (2) Whether the residual clause in the Armed Career Criminal Act is unconstitutionally vague.

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, No. 13-1371

Issue(s): Whether disparate-impact claims are cognizable under the Fair Housing Act.

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There will be no ‘fix’ for ObamaCare subsidies should the Supreme Court eliminate them for the federal exchange

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ObamacareI have been reading a lot of bullshit articles in recent weeks about how the GOP will come up with a “fix” to extend the subsidies in the Affordable Care Act aka “ObamaCare” in the federal exchange should the U.S. Supreme Court actually rule in favor of the radical theory of statutory construction made by the plaintiffs in King v. Burwell.

What is wrong with the media villagers who write this crap? Some Tea-Publican says, “oh, we’re working on a plan,” and like a good little stenographer they parrot what was said, as if there was any semblance of truth to this lie.

Well, today this bullshit lie was laid to rest. The TanMan, Weeper of the House John Boehner, the “Worst. Speaker. Ever.,” declared with his usual drunken bombast, “We are not interested in protecting a fundamentally broken law.” Boehner pushes back on ObamaCare subsidies extension:

At a press conference Thursday, Boehner was asked why a House GOP plan included repeal of the individual mandate, which would just be “veto-bait” for President Obama, and why Republicans would not just extend subsidies through the presidential election while looking for concessions elsewhere in exchange.

“Clearly, we’re interested in protecting those millions of Americans who could lose their subsidies. But, as I said, we are not interested in protecting a fundamentally broken law,” Boehner said.

Pressed on the point, Boehner responded, “We have an obligation to do what our constituents ask of us.”

By “constituents,” he means the conservative media entertainment complex that is the GOP. Most Americans want Congress to ensure Obamacare subsidies: poll. They want those Obamacare subsidies, no matter what: poll.

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Supreme Court rejects North Carolina’s ultrasound ‘informed consent’ law

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uterus-stateOver the dissent of Justice Antonin “Nito” Scalia, without writing an opinion, “the Supreme Court on Monday silently added an implied measure of protection for the private choice of a woman to seek an abortion, sparing her doctor and her a state-mandated use of vivid fetal images to try to dissuade her.” A gesture in favor of a woman’s abortion choice (Lyle Denniston, SCOTUSblog). “The order has the practical effect of leaving undisturbed a lower-court ruling striking down that law on the premise that it was “ideological in intent and in kind” and thus not a valid form of state regulation of medical practice.”

North Carolina will not be allowed to enact one of the most radical forced ultrasound laws in the country, thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday to avoid reviewing the law. Think Progress reports, Supreme Court Spikes North Carolina’s Forced Ultrasound Law:

The Court’s decision is a victory for reproductive rights proponents, who challenged North Carolina’s law on First Amendment grounds — pointing out that the measure essentially forced doctors to deliver an anti-abortion message on behalf of the state. The justices are allowing to stand a unanimous decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit that agreed the law violated doctors’ right to free speech.

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