Coakley, Cuccinelli to debate health care law
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Two state attorneys general will square off in a discussion next week about the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's federal health care law.Massachusetts' Martha Coakley and Virginia's Ken Cuccinelli will lead the National Press Club's Newsmaker discussion "The Affordable Health Care Act -- Constitutional or Not?" at 10 a.m. Feb. 9.
The talk, which will be held at the National Press Club in Washington, will serve as a "prelude" to the U.S. Supreme Court's hearing of the case in March.
Coakley and Cuccinelli will speak for 15 minutes on opposing sides and then take questions for 30 minutes from the media, organizers said in a news release.
The attorneys general will discuss several aspects of the case, including the hotly debated individual mandate, tax basis, general welfare aspect, expansion of Medicaid and severability.
Coakley, a supporter of the law, last month filed a brief to the nation's highest court, defending it by comparing to her state's own health care law.
A strong opponent of the reform, Cuccinelli filed his own lawsuit against the federal law only months after taking office in January 2010. He is now running for governor.
The law's mandate requires individuals who do not purchase health insurance to pay a yearly $695 penalty. Cuccinelli argued that the mandate clashed with the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act, which says Virginians are not required to purchase health insurance.
The Fourth Circuit ruled in Cuccinelli's case that he did not have standing to challenge the law on behalf of the state of Virginia because the State wouldn't be affected by the mandate. Only individual Virginians would be, the court said in overturning a district judge's ruling.
Meanwhile, a total of 14 states, later joined by 12 others, filed a separate challenge to the law in 2010.
Virginia Health Insurance Premium Payment Program - News
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Today I Have Something to Say: Medical Insurance: I'm Mad as Hell ...
&Nbsp; Every year about this time we have "Open Enrollment" for health and medical benefits at my husband's employer. And every year about this time I become outraged over the state of our health system and I shake my fist at the whole insurance industry. My outcry begins at line item one where it shows the premium for our plan. It will cost us $84.00 more each month for the same insurance we had last year, bringing our total cost to $462 per month for family coverage. The company adds something to this and I don't know that amount but, I would guess it's double. The company used to offer three plans to choose from; a low, middle and high cost plan. Each year they eliminated one of the plan options. Now we are offered an all-or-nothing deal. In addition to this, we contribute to a Medical Spending Account which provides us with pre-tax dollars deducted from husband's salary to use on all the expenses the insurance doesn't cover like deductibles, co-pays, etc. I am all for MSA's and this really isn't part of the problem. I'm appalled at this huge increase in medical insurance premiums when we are in an economy where salaries have certainly not gone up. Most employees are not receiving cost of living increases let alone annual raises of any type and many have had to take pay cuts just to stay employed. Last year the premium increase was just as large and I vented on facebook. It was met with apathy. And there's the rub. No one really takes up the torch for this cause and rallies against the insanity of it all. Yes, some will say Obama's health care initiative is addressing this problem, but it actually doesn't. His plan is to provide coverage for all citizens, but I don't believe it addresses the rising cost of medical care and health insurance. As a matter of fact, since he took office our premiums have increased the most.