SCOTUS vs. Obamacare - April Madness

The Obamacare playoffs during March Madness have spilled over in to April. El Presidente, the former constitutional law professor, has this take on SCOTUS vs. Obamacare.

Obama suggested that the high court would be guilty of “judicial activism” if it overturned the law. He also argued that the justices should uphold the individual mandate, saying it’s a key — and constitutional — piece of the law.

“We are confident that this will be upheld because it should be upheld,”

Well there you go.

He said it, he believes it, that settles it.

Why not just abolish the Supreme Court? This administration (and many members of Congress) have already trampled all over the Constitution. Why not reduce the three branches of government to just two.

Or perhaps, only one.

The Executive branch . . .

“I think it is important and I think the American people understand, and I think the justices should understand that in the absence of an individual mandate, you cannot have a mechanism to insure that people with preexisting conditions can actually get health care,” he said.

At the risk of sounding redundant, pre-existing conditions does not preclude someone from getting health care. If it did, doctors and hospitals would only exist for healthy people.

As for the mandate, citizens in every state have the ability to purchase health INSURANCE absent a mandate so his comment is not only patently false but ignorant as well.

Overturning the law would be “an unprecedented, extraordinary step” since it was passed by a majority of members in the House and Senate,” he said. “I just remind conservative commentators that for years we’ve heard that the biggest problem is judicial activism or a lack of judicial restraint. That a group of people would somehow overturn a duly constituted and passed law. Well, this is a good example. And I’m pretty confident that this court will recognize that and not take that step.”

The law was passed by only one party . . . the Democrats. So the Democrats are right and everyone else is wrong?

Now the Supreme Court is just "a group of people". He just confirmed what many have suspected and vocalized. He has contempt for the Constitution and the Supreme Court (unless they rule in his favor).

Sounds to me like Chairman Obama is living proof of a statement made to Richard Wolfe back in 2008. "You know, I believe my own bullshit".

Yes you do.

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Medicare Opt Out

Medicare options at age 65. Automatic enrollment in Medicare? Yes, and no. You have Medicare options but you may not want to exercise them.

The folks at Consumer Reports offer this Q&A on Medicare options.

Q. I’m a candidate for high national office who just turned 65. I’m not signing up for Medicare because of my political convictions. Is there any downside to this?

A. OK, I made up this question, but it’s true that, according to several news sources, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who turned 65 on March 12, is not enrolling in Medicare but rather continuing to be covered under his current private insurance plan.

Is there, in fact, any downside to not enrolling in Medicare when you turn 65?

Yes, several.

1. You will be penalized later if you change your mind. Your Medicare Part B premium will be 10 percent higher, for life, for every year you could have been in Medicare, but were not. Similarly, your Part D drug plan premium will be 1 percent higher for every month you could have had a plan, but did not. With a reported income in 2011 of nearly $21 million, Romney may not care, but you probably will. (The rules are different for people who have group health insurance through their own or a spouse’s active employment at a job. Here are details if this is your situation. )

2. You may have to give up your Social Security benefits. This startling possibility arose last month when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed a lower court ruling that said if you want to get a monthly check from Social Security, you must be enrolled in Medicare Part A. Or, to put it another way, if you want to turn down Medicare, you’ll have to turn down Social Security as well.

3. Your existing individual policy is likely more expensive than, and not as good as, Medicare. Surprisingly, if you have an individual health plan (as opposed to a group plan through your job or a spouse’s job), you can keep it once you turn 65. But it will cost you, especially considering that Part A, the part of Medicare that covers hospital care, is free for anyone who qualifies for Social Security retirement benefits. “Generally what you pay for Part B, Part D, and Medigap is going to be the same or less than what you’re paying for individual coverage, and the benefit package might be better, because a lot of individual plans today have very high deductibles,” says Bonnie Burns, a Medicare expert with California Health Advocates, a nonprofit advocacy group. Also, on Medicare you can see any participating provider, whereas almost all private individual policies restrict you to some type of provider network.

4. You may find it hard or impossible to purchase new individual coverage. Individual coverage becomes increasingly hard to find the older you get, mainly because older adults are more apt to have pre-existing conditions. Moreover, because the overwhelming majority of Americans take Medicare at age 65, “there really isn’t a robust private individual market for individuals that age,” says Mila Kofman, an insurance expert at theGeorgetown University Health Policy Institute.

For instance, Ann Romney, the candidate’s wife, has multiple sclerosis, a serious pre-existing condition that in most states would disqualify her completely from purchasing private insurance. But the Romneys live in Massachusetts, where—thanks to a health reform law that Romney himself signed when he was governor—insurers are not allowed to turn down customers or charge them sky-high rates based on their health histories. A couple with their birth dates, living in their Belmont zip code, can buy a generous comprehensive plan for around $1,500 a month.

Well, not everyone has Romney's wealth, nor do the live in Massachusetts.

Even if you do live in Mass., you will need a big pot of money to buy health insurance. Thanks to RomneyCare, citizens of Massachusetts pay some of the highest health insurance premiums in the country.

And yes, you can expect the same if Obamacare is not overturned by SCOTUS, or repealed following the 2012 election.

Exploring your Medicare options, including enrolling in Medicare at a later date, may not be in your best interest.

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Do we really have an affordability crisis?

"Americans spent nearly $1.5 billion for a chance to hit the jackpot, which amounts to a $462 million lump sum"

Where did $1.5 billion come from in 4 days?

We can't afford our healthcare but we can gamble away $1.038 billion in four days?

We don't have an affordability problem we have a priority problem. Until we view it as such we won't have any realistic solutions.

If we eliminated $100 billion in health care spending annually where would that money go? We assume it would lesson the debt, improve education, or go to some other worthy cause. Do we have anything to support that desired outcome?

Washington has never shown any problem spending money if it was available or not.

No matter how much we fund education it gets worse every year.

It is just as likely that any savings would be spent on more foreign imported electronics, maybe houses bigger then our already largest in the world. Maybe we would smoke more or drink top shelf instead of draft. If you look at our spending as a whole we sure don't appear to be suffering from a crimped budget. If we are going to blow the money on something healthcare is better then smoking, drinking, or gambling.

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How Life Insurance Can Cover Your Mortgage Balance

Discussing the need for life insurance is never a pleasant topic, and certainly combined with talk of mortgage payments, it can be downright distasteful. But it is your responsibility as the principle breadwinner in your home to consider what might happen if you or your spouse were to perish. Would your spouse be able to meet the most basic needs of food and shelter? While the money necessary to pay for basic amenities like food and transportation are attainable through a single income source, most families simply cannot afford to meet their most basic requirement, the mortgage payment, without the income from both spouses.

How it Works
If you are in this situation, it is important to take the necessary precautions in case you or your spouse dies unexpectedly. While saving enough to cover your mortgage is certainly an ideal solution, it is largely unfeasible for most contemporary families. As a result, individuals often opt for mortgage protection life insurance policies. These policies are designed specifically to meet the needs of your home mortgage payment in the event that you or your spouse dies.

The idea behind mortgage protection life insurance is simple: you pay a monthly premium in exchange for which the insurance company agrees to pay off the rest of your mortgage should you die.

Pricing
Pricing for mortgage protection life insurance policies parallels that of traditional life insurance price criteria. For example, if you smoke your rates will be higher, just as if you are an older individual. But certainly the most determinative factor in your price will be the amount of coverage you need. The more you owe on your home, the more insurance you will need to pay it off, which of course means the more expensive the insurance premium will be.

Alternatives to Consider
While mortgage protection life insurance will cover your mortgage payment, as all home owners know, this is only part of the cost of owning a home. In addition there are taxes and repairs to prepare for. For a family that has lost a breadwinner, making these types of allocations can be difficult. As a result, many individuals opt for coverage which goes beyond just mortgage protection and instead provides payments sufficient to cover all the expenses associated with owning a home. This type of insurance often comes in the form of a term life policy which is for an amount which exceeds the price of your home. Of course, this extra coverage comes with a price. But with this coverage also comes quite a bit more flexibility. Under a term life policy your family is not bound to pay off the house with the money they receive, but can instead use it in whatever manner they feel most compelled to. This can be especially helpful if there are other medical costs to consider or if you have children approaching college age.

Life insurance is not a pleasant concept to consider because it requires that we think about the potential for our own demise and the resulting consequences of our death. It is vital, however, that as individuals who are responsible for the financial support of others, we consider these difficult questions and decide whether a life insurance policy is the best solution for us.

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SCOTUS vs. Pelosi

Rep. Pelosi. Constitutional law expert. Rocket surgeon.

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Finding the perfect Dog for you and your family.

Hi, I am writing this blog to help people choose the perfect dog for you and your family. Picking the right dog takes careful planning and making informed choices based on lifestyle, children and even hobbies.

I have been involved with the care and training of dogs for over 12 years and have worked in rescue shelters, dog day care and grooming.

I have compared breeds based on health, training andmaintenance and will help guide you to shelters, web sites and answer questions you might have.

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