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VALHALLA, N.Y. – Westchester residents had mixed reactions Thursday to the Supreme Court ruling to uphold President Barack Obama’s health care law, requiring all citizens to have health insurance.
“I’m very much in favor of this ruling,” said White Plains Rev. Bruce Greer, who was at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla Thursday to visit a patient in the intensive care unit. “Medical costs are some of the most expensive expenditures in this country and we have to hold people accountable for those costs.”
The United States Supreme Court ruling, which passed by a 5-to-4 vote Thursday morning, will require individuals to have health insurance at the risk of paying a fine. If not provided health insurance, citizens must pay for their insurance. Chief Justice John Roberts said the plan aims to cover the more than 30 million people who are currently uninsured in America, according to the Associated Press.
Lewisboro resident Elvin Molina said he was against the unified health care plan.
“If you’re forcing someone to pay into a health insurance plan I think that’s wrong,” Molina said, who was also at the Medical Center Thursday visiting a loved one.
Greer said he believes it is wrong for residents to be without health insurance benefits due to the high tab of health costs.
“If someone goes to the hospital or emergency room to receive treatment for a something and they don’t have health insurance,” Greer said, “that’s a major cost right there and someone needs to pay for it and that’s what we’re doing right now anyway.”
Greer added that he believes Republicans will rally around this decision not only for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, but on a smaller scale as well.
“I think the fans of small government will also look to elect Congressmen that will help in trying to overturn this,” Greer said.
Writing on the Bronxville Daily Voice's Facebook page, Jimmy Hill said: "In my opinion they got it wrong. Ronald Reagan said it was the government's duty to protect it citizens, not run their lives. He got it right!"
Joe Carvin, Rye Town Supervisor and the recently nominated Republican candidate for the 17th Congressional District election, called the Supreme Court decision a disappointment.
“Today's Supreme Court decision is deeply disappointing, but it serves to highlight two critical facts – Obamacare represents the largest tax increase in U.S. history and it must be struck down legislatively by the Congress rather than through the courts,” Carvin said.
Other residents support the decision. Carol Seischab, of Dobbs Ferry, said if she had to make the decision, she would have done the same thing but said there are flaws in the system.
“It’s nice that the government can take care of you, but at a certain point you need to take care of your own responsibilities,” Seischab said.
Seischab said the major flaw of the healthcare system comes down to money. Some people will struggle to provide coverage for themselves and their families, she said, but most of the people complaining about the costs are those who have wealth to spare.
“Insurance companies have to look in the mirror and ask what they can do to help those people who can’t afford care,” Seischab said.
Seischab, who has relatives living in Europe, said it’s strange that America is so hesitant to adopt widespread healthcare coverage because simply because they are afraid of socialism.
Comments (8)
Congress enacted the Affordable Care Act. President Obama signed it into law. The SCOTUS affirmed it. That is democracy. Now our nation needs to go further and enact a universal, single payer health care system so that all who live in the USA are granted access to health care. Every industrialized western nation and Israel grants such coverage to its citizens. The access to health care should be a RIGHT just as access to public education is. The real crime is that approximately 50 million people in our nation do not have health coverage. Individuals and families should not enter into financial ruin due to an illness. Jeff Meyer Tuckahoe, NY.
The "mathematically impossible, unsustainable system" is the status quo: Why should a family face bankruptcy because one family members suffers a devastating accident or contracts a serious illness? President Obama's Affordable Care Act provides health insurance for 30 million Americans, prevents insurers from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions, offers tax credits to small businesses that offer insurance to their employees, and allows young adults to stay on their parents' health care plans until age 26.
Sorry T. Nice try but you just listed the bill of goods you've been sold from a lying fraud. What is mathematically unsustainable is how it will be paid for. I bet you actually believe it will be from the evil selfish 1 percent? It will be paid for temporarily on the backs of the middle class, and then it will all collapse. Sorry to burst the bubble and I do empathize as we have been stretched to the limit due to expenses, but they are the responsibility of my family.... Not my neighbor. BTW no one goes without healthcare in this country...everyone is served. That will not be the case after Obamacare as there will be a mass exodus of physicians. Are you going to force good drs to practice at gunpoint? There will be a shortage of healthcare providers, expenses will skyrocket, taxes are being levied to finance this fraud everywhere you turn including selling your house, and care/ research will become mediocre at best. This has NOTHING to do with healthcare as you describe it...it is a power grab under the emotionally charged guise of healthcare. That's what con men do, and you've been taken for a sucker.
Oh, America... The richest country(?) in the world;
number 37th in quality of healthcare, yet number 1 in cost of healthcare, and number 1 in prescription drugs consumption...! We should be the healthiest people on the planet...
We are the only holdout on national healthcare among developed countries.
Healthcare is a universal right, not a corporate business for profit.
Shame on us.
'Seischab, who has relatives living in Europe, said it’s strange that America is so hesitant to adopt widespread healthcare coverage because simply because they are afraid of socialism.'
In what alternate universe do these people reside? Europe is collapsing. People who believe this has anything to do with good healthcare are deluding themselves. It is a TAX.... Obama lied to push this through and gain control of our lives and the economy. It is a mathematically impossible, unsustainable system that sets us on the same course as a collapsing Eurozone. The short term thinking of those 'celebrating' this 'victory' is pathetic.
They got it right as evidenced by Justice Roberts surprising Conservative mouthpieces who thought he would go against sound legal judgement . Anyone hiding behind the argument for small government is missing the basis for the decision. And to 'fake quote' Reagan -- who wouldn't even survive a mild VP candidate vetting these days -- is beyond illogical. Reagan was for big government and big government spending-- it was just all on the military and related industries. Universal health Care is something that Presidents in both parties have fought to obtain since the early 1900's. This President got it done at least to a large extent. After his 2012 win perhaps they can focus on a single payer system.