What Obama’s Health Care Means for African Americans

Civil rights leaders and lawmakers on Thursday applauded the U.S. Supreme Court’s narrow decision to uphold President Barack Obama’s landmark health care law, which upheld the centerpiece of the measure that requires all people to have health insurance.

Here, NewsOne speaks to U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) about the ruling and explains what this ruling means for African Americans.

{snip}

“This is manna from heaven,” U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) told NewsOne shortly after President Obama’s noontime news conference about the ruling. “I couldn’t be more delighted because this is going to make sure that 32-million people who did not have access to health insurance will now have it. While I’m in favor of a national health plan, this is a little short of that. It will go a long way toward improving the quality of life for millions of Americans. “

Read the court ruling here (.PDF)

While the health care law will benefit all Americans, it will be especially helpful for African Americans who suffered the most under the nation’s ruptured health care system.

{snip}

“I’ve been working on health care reform since the 1970s and this is a hallmark piece of legislation for African Americans and all Americans,” Davis said. “The one thing that we may see a reduction for is in Medicaid. There’s just less money there than we had hoped for, but overall we are pleased with the ruling.”

In a prepared statement, NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock called the ruling “crucial”:

The Supreme Court made a crucial decision today to uphold the core provisions of the Affordable Care Act,” Brock stated in the release. The NAACP has long supported the full and complete implementation of this law. Access to quality, affordable health care is a civil and human right that should not be reserved for the wealthy or the few. The 32-million American men, women, and children covered under this law can now breathe easier.”

{snip}

“I’m so excited about moving forward because there was so much speculation about what the Supreme Court was going to do,” he [Rep. Davis] said. “Now, we can say this is truly a Supreme Court that we can be proud of.”