VIDEO: Harford County Residents React To Health Care Decision
What do those who live and work in Harford County think of the Supreme Court decision?
Videos
Harford County, along with the rest of the nation, is reacting today to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Health Care Act.
Forest Hill residents and long-time state employees Diane Messner and Cindy Chenworth debated the decision over a drink at a shaded table outside Shamrock Coffee in Bel Air Thursday.
"This is the difference between a Democrat and a Republican," Messner said with a laugh.
Messner said she was pleased the health care act was upheld, while Chenworth was not so keen on the idea. Messner characterized their relationship as "good friends who still disagree."
"We have too many people here in Harford County who need health care," Messner said.
She added she does not want the health care act to negatively impact the private health care sector and hopes that does not happen.
Chenworth said her friend feels every driver on the road is required to be insured and so also should every person be required to get health insurance. Chenworth disagreed, saying not every person drives.
"That's a choice," Chenworth said.
She said people are not required to drive, they choose to, adding that no such choice will be involved in health insurance. The requirement is something Chenworth disagrees with.
"You might as well get ready for your health care costs to go up next year," Chenworth told Messner.
Check out the video to see what others around town had to say. What do you think? Leave a comment and share your thoughts in the statewide poll.
Rene de Pontbriand
10:03 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
Ms. Chenoweth,
People "choose" to drive; correct. People do not "choose" to get sick with cancer, pneumonia, multiple sclerosis, heaven forbid; and people do not "choose" to break a leg, fall off a ladder, or suffer other injurious accident.
People do not choose their genes; the lucky ones even escape most diseases that could put the rest of us in our graves---but even they are subject to falls and other injuries. It is for these and related reasons that the Affordable Care Act asks everyone to pool our resources, asks everyone to contribute, asks everyone to also be more cognizant of their personal health by engaging in preventive measures such as exercise, good dietary habits, and early detection medical checkups.
Everyone who can actually afford to contributes financially (most are already doing so via employer or other insurance plans); for the others, there are safety nets organized under the ACA. Everyone of us is also encouraged to participate in good health habits, thereby enabling richer lives, lower obesity and related _avoidable_ billions in health care costs, and taking the pressure off of those with unavoidable conditions.
This is as American as it gets---united we stand!
R. de Pontbriand, Bel Air
Valerie
1:51 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012
Good points Rene de Pontbriand
my take -- for the individual that wants to hold on to the right to "choose" not to get healthcare even if they can afford it I am curious to know how they feel about taxpayers and the folks who are insured getting stuck with paying their bills?
The mandate or tax if you want to use that term is a matter of personal responsibility. If you can afford health insurance, do the right thing and pay for it yourself. Not too much to ask.
Mitt Romney First Introducing the Individual Mandate at Heritage in Jan. 2006 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTByvLtYIYA&feature=player_embedded
K
10:06 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
The unfortunate ramifications of this decision are going to be inferior medical care due to doctor shortages, increased medical costs in the form of higher premiums to cover subsidies, higher taxes born by the middle class regulated by the IRS, and many, many individuals that won't be subjected to the HHS mandates due to the thousands of waivers that have been issued so as to avoid the inferior medical care expected to be wrought on the American public courtesy of Obamacare.
Leslie Schildgen
10:12 am on Friday, June 29, 2012
I'm still trying to figure out how Justice John Roberts found Obamacare constitutional on the grounds that the mandate was a tax
Muhammad Bilal
6:11 am on Wednesday, October 24, 2012
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Tom Kucan
12:08 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Rene P. Awesome points. To add: The fact is costs are going up with or without Obamacare, ACA, or Romneycare. Here is an example of someone that didn't have a healthcare plan. He had a minor surgery, was in the hospital for 2 days including emergency and follow-up visits. Costs were about 20k. He couldn't afford because he didn't have a plan. Had he purchased an individual plan just 1 year earlier, he would have reduced the 20k bill to approximately 5k. Saving him 15k. 20k would have paid a healthcare premium for himself for almost a decade. Now, 2 years later, he still doesn't have a health plan but still has that 20k bill. He's been able to get that bill down to 18k. So, since he's really not going to be able to pay that bill or will most likely stop paying that bill, now you know why YOUR healthcare costs are HIGH. Still don't like mandating people have health insurance? Look at the facts. This is ONE example of reality right here in Maryland.
sajid
6:31 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
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