Michigan Reacts To Supreme Court Health Care Ruling
DETROIT (WWJ) - "I want to congratulate President @BarackObama on the SCOTUS ruling upholding the #AffordableCareAct. We all win today." That was the message on Twitter Thursday morning from Detroit Mayor Dave Bing.
The mayor is just one of many in Southeast Michigan reacting following the U.S. Supreme Court's historic ruling that upholds a critical piece of President Obama's Affordable Care Act -- the individual mandate.
POLL: 'ObamaCare' Upheld: What Do You Think?
Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak said the GOP is "disappointed" with the Court's decision...
"However, it is clear that ObamaCare harms middle class families, job creators and individual liberty, and defeating ObamaCare begins on Nov. 6 when we elect Mitt Romney president. ObamaCare cripples job creators, discourages economic growth and creates new taxes on wheelchairs and insulin pumps," Schostak said in a statement."
Americans deserve better, and real reform begins when we repeal all of ObamaCare. Republicans are fired-up and ready to work hard to defeat Pres. Obama and repeal this law in order to create real healthcare reform that put's middle class families and job creators first."
Said U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (MI-08): "Today's Supreme Court decision makes one thing clear: we must redouble our efforts to change leadership in the U.S. Senate and the White House to undo this burdensome Obama health care tax that will punish those who cannot afford health insurance and is stifling job creation in America...
"No court can change the facts about this disastrous law. The law has not made health care more affordable as President Obama promised it would," Rogers said.
On the other side of the asile, U.S. Representative John Dingell (D-MI15) issued the following statement:
"Today, the Supreme Court came to the right decision, the fair decision, the decision that is best for our citizens. By upholding the Affordable Care Act, the Court affirmed to the American people that quality, affordable healthcare is their right; that they live in a country where basic human rights are valued above all else.
This ruling guarantees that 17 million children can no longer be denied coverage for pre-existing conditions. It ensures 105 million Americans no longer have a lifetime limit on their health insurance, and more than 6 million young adults now have health insurance through their parents' plans," Dingell said.
Also among those weighing in on this ruling is local health care providers. WWJ Newsradio 950 spoke live with Brian Connolly, president and CEO of Oakwood Healthcare.
"We've been sort of been preparing for this process for quite some time. And, for us, in the end our patients come first. And, you know, it's really the right thing to do provide coverage for as many as the American citizens as we can," Connolly said.
Connolly said its important to insure patients can see primary care physicians, so they don't end up in the emergency room.
Henry Ford Health System CEO Nancy Schlichting praised the decision as "a win-win" for patients and the country's health care system.
"This ruling allows health systems like ours to continue making positive reforms to the country's health care system that was on an unsustainable track prior to the passage of the Act," said Schlichting, who heads one of the largest integrated health care systems in the U.S.
"We're thrilled for the nearly 500,000 uninsured people in Michigan who will now have access to affordable health care, many for the first time, which in turn will bring much-needed economic relief to Henry Ford and other health care providers that have been coping for years with the growing cost of uncompensated care," she said.
Spencer Johnson, president of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association issued the following statement:
"Michigan hospitals have been, and will continue, taking all necessary steps to comply with the provisions of the law that affect them and their patients. Today's ruling provides additional certainty on those efforts, allowing hospitals to continue working with government, business, community and health care leaders to implement reforms that best serve patients and provide appropriate resources to hospitals for their adoption.
"The leaders of Michigan hospitals, like those at hospitals nationwide, are reviewing the ruling and its implications to determine precisely if and how it affects the millions of patients they treat and will be looking to their elected officials, Congressional delegation and regulators to provide guidance," Johnson said.
Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 for complete national coverage, plus more reaction from across our state.
