Expert Alert: Is ‘Obamacare’ right for America?

David Ruth
713-348-6327
david@rice.edu

HOUSTON — (March 27, 2012) – The U.S. Supreme Court is listening to arguments today on the Affordable Care Act, or so-called “Obamacare.” At the heart of today’s consideration is the legality of the health plan’s mandate that requires Americans not covered by employer- or government-sponsored health insurance to purchase health insurance or face a penalty.

Vivian Ho, chair in health economics at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is available to discuss the economics of the health care plan.

“Reforming the health care system is essential to restraining cost growth in health care in the U.S., and one essential component of the reform is providing broadly based insurance coverage,” Ho said.

“Many view the mandate for all individuals to purchase health insurance in the Affordable Care Act as motivated by a desire to increase the role of government in people’s lives,” Ho said. “However, the mandate was developed and promoted by economists who recognize that the current insurance system is vulnerable to free riders.

“Too many individuals avoid purchasing health insurance, then receive free health care subsidized by taxpayers and health care providers when they suffer an acute illness. Not purchasing health insurance therefore has economic consequences that impede the conduct of interstate commerce, which is protected under the Constitution,” Ho said.

The Baker Institute has a radio and television studio available for national media interview requests. To schedule an interview with Ho, contact David Ruth, director of national media relations at Rice, at david@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

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Founded in 1993, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston ranks among the top 20 university-affiliated think tanks globally and top 30 think tanks in the United States. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute sponsors more than 20 programs that conduct research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows and Rice University scholars. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.