MONROE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - In a significant victory for the Obama administration, the Supreme Court upheld most of the President's health care reform. Everyone in Northeast Louisiana seems to have something to say about the Supreme Court's health care ruling and what it might mean for the future.
"My personal opinion is we needed health care reform, there were a lot of people in our state alone that were uninsured." said State Representative Katrina Jackson. She says after deep cuts to state health care during the last Legislative session the affordable health care act is just what the state needs. "We're cutting health care, so anything that makes health care more affordable, we need to welcome it." said Jackson. But it's the cost of the plan that worries Ruth Ulrich, the Vice Chair of the Southern Republican National Committee.
"It's a tax on the middle class, they are the ones that are really going to be hit with the expense of this bill. The other expense is going to hit mothers who haven't even been born yet and their children, we have put them even more so in debt than they already are." said Ulrich. For Louisiana hospitals and insurance companies, the ruling means having a clearer plan, at least for now, regarding how to move forward."The next step is just to continue, like I said to implement the law, to continue to work on the 27 hundred pages of provisions to find ways to improve the law" said Mike Reitz, the CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana.
"Regardless of what the outcome was today, whether you liked it or disliked it, for us at St. Francis Medical Center, what it means is we can move forward now with doing the job we're really all about, taking care of patients." said Louis Bremer, CEO of St. Francis Hospital in Monroe.
Republicans are vow to repeal the act, but for the health care law supporters Thursday was a day for celebration. "Whatever happens I do know this, health care is important. Access to health care is important." said Jackson.
Any repeal vote is not expected to get past the democratically-controlled senate, this topic is looking to be the hot topic of the presidential election this Fall.
Tuesday, May 21 2013 5:00 AM EDT2013-05-21 09:00:54 GMT
MOORE, Ok. (KNOE 8 News) - President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Oklahoma as the state recovers from a massive tornado that ripped through the Oklahoma City suburbs
MOORE, Ok. (KNOE 8 News) - President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in Oklahoma as the state recovers from a massive tornado that ripped through the Oklahoma City suburbs
Friday, May 17 2013 12:09 PM EDT2013-05-17 16:09:18 GMT
FARMERVILLE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - The family of a Farmerville teen who died at football practice last week says it is overwhelmed by the community's gratitude.
FARMERVILLE, La. (KNOE 8 News) - The family of a Farmerville teen who died at football practice last week says it is overwhelmed by the community's gratitude.
