The Week That Was: Health Care Reform

Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce.

For those of you following the bouncing ball of court decisions resulting from challenges to the 2010 Health Care Reform Act, here goes.

Yesterday, a federal judge in Mississippi dismissed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act, stating the Lieutenant Governor and others who filed the challenge did not have legal standing to sue. While he did not rule on the legal questions, still good news for the Obama Administration. Especially coming from a judge nominated by President George W. Bush.

This comes on the heels of a decision earlier in the week by federal court Judge Roger Vinson of the Northern District of Florida, who struck down a key provision of the health care law – the requirement for Americans to buy insurance. In declaring that particular mandate unconstitutional, he ruled the rest of the law cannot stand without it. Hence, he said, the entire law should be struck down.

Five decisions thus far, and counting. Theoretically, we can see this 50 times. Sigh.

Health Care For All.