Oklahoma City -
Dozens of people rallied against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Saturday morning.
The "Rally for Healthcare Independence", put on by the Oklahoma 10th Amendment Center and other activist groups, began at 9:30 a.m. at the State Capitol Building at 2300 North Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City.
People heard from several speakers against PPACA, often referred to as "Obamacare."
The group was vocal about its opposition to three key items—a state-run health insurance exchange, expansion of Medicaid in Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Health Information Exchange Trust.
Speakers encouraged those in attendance to contact Governor Mary Fallin and their local representatives to voice their opposition.
The PPACA mandates that individuals not covered by employer- or government-sponsored insurance plans to have minimal health insurance coverage and increases insurance coverage of pre-existing conditions.
The act also expands Medicaid eligibility to those up to 133% of Federal poverty level (FPL), requires states to establish health insurance exchanges for low-income people above the Medicaid level up to 400% of Federal poverty level (FPL), and prohibits insurance companies from charging co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles for preventative care for certain insurance plans.
For someone on Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, the plan currently covers up to $2700 per year but then stops until his or her drug costs exceed $6100 annually. The $3400 gap in coverage is known as the "doughnut hole." The PPACA will eliminate this gap by 2020.
One of the controversial provisions of the PPACA is the requirement that all new insurance plans cover certain preventative services without charging a deductible, co-pay, or coinsurance beginning August 1st. The services will include mammograms, colonoscopies, contraception, and domestic-violence screenings.
Many states filed actions in Federal court challenging the constitutionality of some or all of the elements of the PPACA.
On June 28th, the Supreme Court upheld all but one provision of the law, ruling that the individual mandate was a tax and, therefore, fell under Congress' taxing authority. The Federal government may now only withhold new Medicaid funding from states that do not comply with PPACA.
Oklahoma State Representative Mike Ritze (R-Broken Arrow) announced on June 28th that he would be continuing his efforts to pass legislation to nullify PPACA in the state of Oklahoma.
"The Federal health care law represents a radical change toward socialized medicine, and the idea of the federal government forcing Americans to buy health insurance was a bold overreach," Ritze said.
Ritze said his legislation would authorize the Oklahoma Attorney General to defend citizens who fail to purchase health insurance against the Federal government and criminalizes the enforcement of the individual mandate.
[Thanks to sister station KOCO for covering the event]
Rally for Healthcare Independence, photo courtesy KOCO
Rally for Healthcare Independence, photo courtesy KOCO
Rally for Healthcare Independence, photo courtesy KOCO
