Court Opens Health-Care Debate With Law That Might Derail Case

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-26/court-opens-health-care-debate-with-law-that-might-derail-case.html

The U.S. Supreme Court opens today its historic review of President Barack Obama’s health- care law, three days of arguments that might result in the president’s premier legislative achievement being found unconstitutional in the middle of his re-election campaign.

The court will determine the fate of a measure designed to extend insurance to about 32 million people and revamp an industry that accounts for 18 percent of the U.S. economy.

The six hours of planned debate is the most on a case in 44 years. The core dispute -- the law’s upcoming mandate that uninsured people purchase coverage -- comes on the second day.

First, the justices today hear arguments on a seemingly arcane question: Does the penalty for failing to get insurance amount to a tax?

[CAPHAVOC]

1. Who gets the money?

Are IRS tax penalties taxes? I am going to listen a 1 o'clock.

[rainy]

2. we would have to go back to "pre-existing conditions"

otherwise people would just wait until they are sick to get insurance. That's the whole point of making everyine buy insurance, so they don't wait until they are sick to get it and Obamacare has eleminated pre-existing conditions so there would be no reason to get insurance first.