Affordable Care Act Implications Explained at SUNY Downstate Thursday

The Affordable Care Act, the lifetime health insurance requirement of President Obama's health care commonly reffered to as "Obamacare" and a divisive topic for many since it was upheld as constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, will be the focus of another discussion Thurs., Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. at SUNYDownstate Medical Center. 

The John Conley Division of Medical Ethics and Humanities at the Center will present “Broccoli, Medicaid, and Mandates: Implications of the Affordable Care Act,” a discussion on the objections rasied by critics of the Act, featuring guest speaker Dr. David Orentlicher, JD.

"If the federal government can require people to buy insurance because it would be good for their health, then, it is said, the government can require people to buy all sorts of things that are good for their health – like broccoli," a release for the lecture said.

"Similarly, if the federal government can force states to spend billions of Medicaid dollars to address the health care needs of their residents, it can force states to spend billions of dollars on other social programs."

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In the release Orentlicher noted the Court's 5-4 vote was a strong counter to these arguments. “Allowing the Act to largely go forward preserves the ability of Congress to regulate on behalf of the public welfare while presenting no new threats to individual liberty or state autonomy,” he said. 

"As the Presidential campaign moves into full swing, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and healthcare law are certain to be center stage," the release noted, saying Orentlicher's lecture will frame these issues.

This event is co-sponsored by the Brooklyn Free Clinic and Physicians for a National Health Program at Downstate. The lecture will be held in Lecture Hall 1–A, Health Science Education Building, at 395 Lenox Road at 4 p.m. For more information, call 718-270-3780.