The U.S. Supreme Court Thursday voted five-four to uphold President Obama’s health care overhaul. Advocates for Kentucky youth and the poor say the ruling is a win, but the state’s senior Senator, minority leader Mitch McConnell, called for the law to be “repealed and replaced.”
“The democrat health care law has made things worse,” McConnell, R-Kentucky, said on the Senate floor not long after the ruling was issued Thursday morning. Americans want it repealed and that's precisely what we intend to do. Americans want us to start over and today's decision does nothing to change that."
The executive director of Kentucky’s Youth Advocates, Terry Brooks, told ABC 36 News the ruling was “a major win” for child health. "So whether it is that preventative health, oral health, special assistance and support for foster care kids, today is a great day for kids in Kentucky,” Brooks said.
An advocate for the poor, Anne Hadreas, said the law will help nearly a half million low and middle income Kentuckians get access to health coverage.
.”This is a chance for them to get coverage, to get services and preventive services for free and this is something that's not only good for them but our whole state and our health insurance program,” said Hadreas, who is with the Kentucky Equal Justice Center.
An additional 221,000 poor Kentuckians could be eligible for Medicaid while 261,000 middle income residents could get premium tax credits to help them pay for insurance.
"Americans were promised lower health care costs; they’re going up” said McConnell as he promised to send the law down “the road to repeal.”
.”Americans were promised lower premiums, they're going up. Most Americans were promised their taxes wouldn't change, they’re going up,” McConnell added.
But, Hadreas, speaking for the poor, said the law funnels money which is already being spent on health care to places where it can be used more wisely.
"Right now your health care system is unbelievably expensive,” Hadreas said. “We spend more on health care than the g-d-p of Brazil, so that money is coming from somewhere. But what it's not doing is getting people the coverage they need so they're not sick."
