Hope for Single-Payer?

           Those of us who follow the news know that in the recent days the ObamaCare overhaul issue has been taken to the Supreme Court.  After hearing the arguments on both sides of the issue it is now up to the Supreme Court to decide whether the Obamacare plan is constitutional.  Over the past week it seems that the Obamacare plan and its supporters have met some resistance from the Supreme Court.  For those that do not really understand what the Obamacare plan will do here are a couple of examples, by 2014 all American citizens and residents must buy health insurance or be penalized $695 annually, and subsidies will be provided to help those who cannot afford to purchase health insurance.  Just like every proposed bill there are positive and negative aspects of it.  The Supreme Court is not too keen on deciding whether the Obamacare plan is constitution does not spell victory for those who oppose it.  The Supreme Court questioning Obamacare leaves a small glimmer of hope for those of us that support single-payer. 

            Some Supreme Court Justices brought up interesting point’s to the people that are against Obamacare.  One Justice in Particular, Justice Sotomayor brought up the question whether congress can tax everyone and set up a public healthcare system, to which a lawyer arguing against Obamacare agreed that this type of system would be constitutional.  “In an exchange between Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Michael Carvin—a lawyer representing the National Federation of Independent Businesses, which opposes Obamacare—Sotomayor got Carvin to concede that a single-payer system would be constitutional” (Serwer). I think having the Supreme Court Justices bringing up the notion of single-payer and having some of the lawyers in the session agreeing with them is an important step in moving forward for single-payer.  It is time for our government to make a step forward in actually helping those that cannot afford health insurance; single-payer seems like the most logical way to go.  If the Supreme Court ends up ruling against the Obamacare plan, then the other option on the table would be the single-payer.  I personally hope that the Supreme Court rules against Obamacare, and forces our politicians to listen to the many pleas for single-payer health care.