The NC Council of Churches rejoices in today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which affirms the decades-long work and concerns of the NCCC for those without health care. This decision means that millions who had no health insurance and thus restricted health care will have their needs met. The ACA not only offers benefits to many people who need health care, but it addresses the moral concern of providing for the common good. As a faith community, the NCCC celebrate this decision, to allow the ACA to provide needed health care to millions of God’s children in our country.
With John 10:10 as our guide, we call on humanity to enjoy God-given life and to ensure that everyone can partake fully. Therefore, we ask Congress to end any attempts to defund or delay aspects of implementing the ACA. It protects many who face barriers of health conditions and low income, and the NCCC will continue to work for expansion of ACA to include everyone – all God’s children should have health care.
— Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate, & Robert Mason, Duke Divinity School Intern
I have many problems with this law as well, one objection is religious freedom. The law is telling religious institutions that they must offer abortions for their employees despite having fundamental religious objections against abortions.
Another aspect that sticks in my craw is one of unfairly granting exemptions or waivers to the cost impacts of the law to union employees but not to non union employees.
In addition the law never addressed one of the primary reasons health care costs are going up, which is defensive medicine being practised by physicians to avoid risks for lawsuits.
Surely there has to be a better way to handle health care than the way that this law provides.
The Affordable Care Act is complex legislation that falls short of true universal health care; additional work is needed to insure that health care is accessible to all. That said, ACA is a crucial and long-awaited step forward and one that the Council believes reflects Christ’s call to love our neighbor and to care for the least of these.
Indeed Aleta, however the good Lord would not want us frittering away our resources on overhead, wasteful government offices, making unneeded tests to avoid lawsuits, over prescribing medication and dictating to His people what they should be allowed to believe. Sanctity of human life should be a focus of this law and that people receive adequate health treatments without excessive waiting regardless of their age. This law has major shortfalls that were never addressed, it needs major adjustments.
I want healthcare for all God’s children, but I think the NCCC is way out of touch with reality. In order to fund what they are so nobly calling for we’ll have to take some extreme measures – like eliminating any care to prolong life for people over 80, or limiting open heart surgery to people under 70. The money for all this health care has to come from somewhere, either higher premiums, taxes or rationing health care. I support the availability of health care for all people and would like to see my fellow compassionate Christians acknowledging the realities of what they are calling for. “With John 10:10 as our guide, we call on humanity to enjoy God-given life and to ensure that everyone can partake fully. Therefore, we ask Congress to end any attempts to defund or delay aspects of implementing the ACA. It protects many who face barriers of health conditions and low income, and the NCCC will continue to work for expansion of ACA to include everyone – all God’s children should have health care.” WHAT ARE YOU, NCCC MEMBERS, WILLING TO SACRIFICE TO BRING THIS ABOUT?
Dear Mr. Conover,
Thank you for visiting our website and for sharing your feelings.
As people of faith, we are called to follow the path of Jesus’ disciples in working for the “Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Reading Scripture, we know that Jesus was never accused of being in touch with reality in the temporal sense. Christians are called to do unto others as we’d have them do to us. People who cannot afford health care are real people with families, friends, and needs-Jesus has called us to be their good Samaritan-just as we hope they would do for us.
The NCCC has long worked for universal health converge and we consider the ACA to be a step in this direction, even though the legislation is not perfect. In addition, the Council’s Partners in Health and Wholeness Initiative works with faith communities to help improve health and wellness among congregants and clergy, one outcome over time being a reduction in health care costs.
While saving money is not our goal, it is well known that countries that have universal coverage spend much less on health care than the US. The National Coalition on Health Care (headed by former Pres. George H. Bush) found that the U.S. could save $1.14 trillion over ten years and that even creation of a new program like the federal employee plan would save money. (http://www.healthcareforallnc.org/resources/Data/KeyHCFacts.pdf)
If we fully implement the ACA, it is expected to save money, as well as provide health care for millions now left out. Indeed to your point, rationing of health care already exists in our country based on who has the ability to pay. As a Council we will continue to advocate for those who are most vulnerable and who are in need (currently 17% of North Carolinians are uninsured). We would ask what your plan is to aid those in need?
May God give us the strength and courage to continue to help the ‘least of these’.
Thank you again for your response,
Sandy and Robert