Sitra Abdus-Salaam, a senior graduating from Chavez Parkside High School with a 3.7 G.P.A, has been an honor roll student from 2008 to present. Sitra has served as Junior class president and as a class officer from 2010 to present. Her interests include community health and psychology which lead to her Capstone and Community actions projects for which she researched and learned about, HIV and AIDs and Obesity. Sitra has gained work experience while completing her fellowship at the US Attorney’s Office and the DC Court of Appeals. Miss Abdus-Salaam will be attending Virginia Common Wealth University in the fall.

1. By Sitra Abdus-Salaam
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE
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2. IS THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE SYSTEM EFFECTIVE?
 Problems with current system:
 50 million Americans do not have health insurance.
 25 million Americans are underinsured.
 Approximately 50% of personal bankruptcies are due to
medical expenses.
 Lack of access to preventative care.
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3. THE PROBLEM, CONTINUED
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4. LAWS / POLICIES
 Most people get insurance through employers.
 Individual/independent health insurance
 The number of people covered by employment-
based health insurance and individual health
insurance is decreasing
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5. PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
 Free preventive health care
 Insurance Exchanges
 All American families and businesses will have quality health care
 Young adults are allowed to remain on their parents’ plan until 26
 The law extends the life of the Medicare trust fund by 12 years,
from 2017 to 2029
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6. IS HEALTHCARE A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT?
 Healthcare is not spelled out in the
Constitution as a fundamental right.
 People like the late senator Ted Kennedy and
President Barack Obama say that health
care is a fundamental right.
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7. IS IT THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO
PROVIDE HEALTH CARE?
 There are government programs that prove
that the government sees health care as their
responsibility
 Medicaid
 Medicare
 States vs. Federal
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8. CAN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FORCE
EVERYONE TO HAVE HEALTH CARE?
 Individual Mandate
 State of Florida V. Department of Health and
Human Services (2011)
 Ruled that the health insurance mandate falls outside the
federal authority in the Constitution, and that the provision
could not be severed; therefore concluded the entire PPACA
must be struck down
 11th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed Judge Vinson's
decision in part; the court agreed that the mandate was
unconstitutional, but held that it could be severed, allowing the
rest of the PPACA to remain
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9. IS THE PPACA CONSTITUTIONAL?
 The Supreme Court is considering:
 Whether it is outside of Congress’ power to require
acceptance of all health insurance applicants.
 Whether the lawsuit is premature.
 Whether other portions of the law or the entire act must
be invalidated if the mandate is thrown out.
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10. IS PPACA POLITICALLY ACCEPTABLE?
53% of Independents oppose
Favorable Public 88% of Republicans oppose
Opinion 66% of Democrats support
35% of the general public supports
Cost $940 billion over 10 years
Proven Massachusetts
Effectiveness
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11. Traditional Policy: Alternative Policy: What if?
Private Healthcare PPACA Middle ground
between current
situation and
PPACA
Is it the To some people Yes, everyone must Broaden group of
government’s (low-income women have healthcare people who qualify
responsibility and children, senior either through the for government-
to provide citizens) government or funded healthcare
health care? privately.
Can the No. Yes, the individual No, but the
federal mandate requires government can
government that all people have provide it for more
force healthcare. people (people can
everyone to opt out).
have health
care?
Is the PPACA To be determined Yes
constitutional?
Cost Neared $2.6 trillion $940 billion over 10 Approximately the
in 2010 years same cost
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12. WORKS CITED
 http://www.healthcareproblems.org
 http://change.gov/agenda/health_care_agen
da/
 http://www.whitehouse.gov/
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13. WORKS CITED
 http//www.reuters.com
 Author: Thomas Reuters
 Mon, Dec 3 2007
 Book “Universal Healthcare”
 Author: Ben Furnas
 www.whitehouse.gov
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