What is Obamacare?

Obamacare was mentioned at least 16 times during tonight's Western Republican Presidential Debate and never in a favorable light. Why do they hate Obamacare so much?

What is Obamacare?

It is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. Every Republican in the House and Senate voted against the bill. It goes into effect on January 1, 2014. There are ten titles in the PPACA bill.

TITLE I-QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS
TITLE II-ROLE OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS
TITLE III-IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY OF HEALTH CARE
TITLE IV-PREVENTION OF CHRONIC DISEASE AND IMPROVING PUBLIC HEALTH
TITLE V-HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE
TITLE VI-TRANSPARENCY AND PROGRAM INTEGRITY
TITLE VII-IMPROVING ACCESS TO INNOVATIVE MEDICAL THERAPIES
TITLE VIII-CLASS ACT
TITLE IX-REVENUE PROVISIONSTITLE X-STRENGTHENING QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS

These titles don't sound so bad. In fact, much of the public actually like many aspects of the plan. Perhaps Republicans take issue with how the plan is to be financed.

How is Obamacare financed?

The PPACA is to be financed with the increased taxes on the top five percent of wealthy Americans. The tax increase on the top one percent is significant. If the plan is underfinanced, it is reported that the taxes on the top one percent will be increased again to cover the deficit. However, according to the Washington Post, only the top one percent would be paying more and it essentially just takes them back to the Clinton era tax rates.

Individual Mandate

The individual mandate requiring people to purchase health insurance has been ruled a violation of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution by Judge Christopher Conner in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Persons not purchasing health insurance face a fine under the provisions of PPACA.

Wouldn't Republicans want everyone to have health care coverage? When a question was asked during one of the political debates about whether a 30 year old male with no insurance should be left to die, Republican supporters in the audience cheered.

It is more likely that Tea Party Republicans are taking issue with the fact that Obamacare provides free birth control and funds abortion. Again though, why should anyone care about the decision that a woman makes regarding her own body? There are no laws against a woman getting a tattoo or multiple piercings. There is nothing in the Constitution that says abortion or birth control are illegal or should not be permitted. Would our Founding Fathers really want to get involved in family matters such as this?

So, why do Republicans want to repeal Obamacare?

It would seem that the reasons are: birth control, abortion and taxing the top one percent of wealthy Americans. All three of these things would anger the Tea Party Republican base. As of April, 2010 only eighteen percent of American identified as Tea Party members; definitely not a majority. Seems the majority of Americans might WANT Obamacare.