Affordable Care Act Deemed Unconstitutional by United States Federal Court Judge

For the second time a United States Federal court judge has ruled that the Affordable Care Act, signed by President Barack Obama in March 2010, violates the US constitution.  Federal Judge Roger Vinson of Florida ruled on Monday, January 31, 2011, that the healthcare reform legislation is unconstitutional because the mandate; requiring all Americans to buy health insurance or face penalties exceeds congressional power.

In December, Judge Henry Hudson of the Eastern District of Virginia was the first US Federal Judge to declare the healthcare reform law unconstitutional. So far 12 Federal Judges have discarded challenges to the legislation and 2 have upheld them.[1]  President Obama, in his January 2011 State of the Union Address, said that he is open to ideas on how to improve the healthcare law.  In the occurrence of a congressional repeal of the Affordable Care Act, it is likely that President Obama would veto the repeal to uphold his legislation.    

Starting in 2014, any US citizen not covered by either an employer, government, or individual healthcare program may be fined by the IRS.  Penalties for individuals who choose not to purchase health insurance will start at $325 can go up to 2 percent of the individual’s annual income.  Penalties for employers who choose not to purchase health insurance for full time employees will face annual penalties ranging from $750 to $2,000 per employee.[2] Attorneys of the Obama Administration argue that the government can levy a tax penalty on Americans who do not purchase health insurance because all Americans are consumers of medical care. 

The requirement of businesses to provide increased healthcare benefits to employees may force some employers to choose plans with higher deductibles and copays in order to keep costs down.  This would mean an undeniable increase in healthcare costs for many.  Fortunately for all Americans there is a free resource readily available that provides low costs on prescription medications. 

RxCut^® Plus, the Equalizer in healthcare, guarantees card users the absolute lowest possible price on their prescription drugs, whether it’s their insurance copayment, the pharmacy retail price, or the RxCut^® Price. The RxCut^® Price on 21 of the 25 most frequently used generic drugs, for card users, has been lower than an insurance copay of $10 or more.  Today over 210 million Americans receive drug benefits through their employer and often pay a copay for a generic drug that is higher than the retail price.  By registering the RxCut^® Plus discount card with their pharmacist and always asking, ‘What’s my RxCut^® Price?’ it ensures that card users pay the lowest price possible.

RxCut^® Plus is a free healthcare discount card offering up to 75 percent discounts on the retail price of prescriptions and up to 50 percent on labs and imaging. RxCut^® Plus is accepted at over 54,000 pharmacies across the United States and Puerto Rico and does not require enrollment or activation of any kind.

References:

[1] Zink, Janet, and Alex Bureau. “Federal Judge in Florida Says Healthcare Law Is Unconstitutional.” Miami Herald. Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau, 01 Feb. 2011. Web. 01 Feb. 2011. . [2] Sahadi, Jeanne. “Health Care Reform: Where the Money Will Come from – Mar. 20, 2010.” Business, Financial, Personal Finance News – CNNMoney.com. 20 Mar. 2010. Web. 04 Feb. 2011.