As part of the Spy’s coverage of the Democratic Party primary race for the 1st Congressional District, we have asked the candidates to respond to specific questions from our readers. Each week, the Spy will be asking the candidates to provide a summary of their positions.
This week “Ask the Candidates” focuses on the Health Care Reform Act passed by Congress in 2010 and mandates on individuals to purchase health insurance.
Where do you stand on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)which was passed last year in 2011? Would you like to expand it’s scope, keep it the way it is, or attempt to improve or eliminate certain aspects of the program?
John LaFerla
A.) The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is an imperfect piece of legislation. However, the amount of good in the bill far outweighs the bad. The ability for our children to stay on our health insurance until the age of 26 is an important step in bridging the gap between school and full employment. Additionally, I have had the experience, as an employer, of having difficulty finding coverage for employees due to pre-existing conditions. This is a problem that we absolutely had to fix to insure the health of our nation. Ultimately I feel that the answer for our country, as it has been for almost every developed nation, will be some form of universal healthcare. That the United States lags behind so much of the world on this important issue is of great concern and is something that will surely have to be revisited by future Congresses and Presidents.
We need to alter incentives to bend down the cost curve. I also believe we need real medical malpractice reform to help compensate people with real claims while eliminating unnecessary costs in our health care system. While I believe these changes need to be made, I disagree with Andy Harris that we should repeal vital positive changes such as ending the ban on insurance companies denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, banning recision of coverage when people get sick and allowing college-aged adults to remain on their parents’ plans. We can build on these changes and create an even better health care system for all Americans.
Wendy Rosen:
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is an imperfect piece of legislation. However, the amount of good in the bill far outweighs the bad. The ability for our children to stay on our health insurance until the age of 26 is an important step in bridging the gap between school and full employment. Additionally, I have had the experience, as an employer, of having difficulty finding coverage for employees due to pre-existing conditions. This is a problem that we absolutely had to fix to insure the health of our nation. Ultimately I feel that the answer for our country, as it has been for almost every developed nation, will be some form of universal healthcare. That the United States lags behind so much of the world on this important issue is of great concern and is something that will surely have to be revisited by future Congresses and Presidents.
Do you believe it is constitutional to mandate health coverage for every American?
John LaFerla:
I believe the individual mandate is constitutional under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. No one questions laws mandating auto coverage to drive a car. However, I also believe we need to explore less punitive ways of ensuring that everyone pays into the health care system to stop the cost-shifting that occurs when people choose not to buy health insurance until they get sick.
Wendy Rosen:
The Supreme Court will, of course, ultimately decide the constitutionality of that particular aspect of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. What is important to remember though is that, even before this legislation, we were all left holding the bill for uninsured citizens who made use of emergency rooms and other medical facilities. We have paid this price through taxation and through higher insurance premiums. The mandate is one method of diffusing that cost and ultimately making healthcare more affordable for everyone. However, it is possible that we will have to revisit this and explore a more effective and less invasive way of assuring that everyone who needs coverage has affordable access to it.