Where does CatholicVote.org stand on Healthcare?

Access to affordable medical care is a basic human right. Often, the poor or unemployed live without medical insurance — and so aren’t able to afford the medical care they need. But The Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) is a bad fix.

In response to rising medical costs and massive healthcare companies dictating who gets coverage and who doesn’t, the U.S. needs more innovation, not less. Innovation happens when individuals and businesses can experiment at the local level (hint: subsidiarity) with what works — and what doesn’t.

The Affordable Care Act is an attempt at a big government solution to the problems in our healthcare industry. Rollout of the ACA was a disaster, confirming fears that this process is better left to the private sector where competition forces efficiency and effectiveness.

What does the Catholic Church teach about this?

“[T]he common good requires the social well-being and development of the group itself. Development is the epitome of all social duties. Certainly, it is the proper function of authority to arbitrate, in the name of the common good, between various particular interests; but it should make accessible to each what is needed to lead a truly human life: food, clothing, health, work, education and culture, suitable information, the right to establish a family, and so on.” (CCC 1908)

“Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others and the common good. Concern for the health of its citizens requires that society help in the attainment of living-conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity: food and clothing, housing, health care, basic education, employment, and social assistance.” (CCC 2288)

Why is the HHS Mandate a problem?

The HHS Mandate forces all individuals and employers to purchase insurance that covers abortion-inducing drugs, sterilizations, and contraception. The violation of religious liberty made some organizations and individuals furious. They sued. Since then, it has gotten complicated.

What would be a good healthcare alternative to the Affordable Care Act?

The U.S. needs a marketplace for healthcare that takes advantage of competition between healthcare companies to improve quality, lower costs, and ensure consistent coverage. Those who can’t get healthcare in the employer system would receive a tax credit so they can purchase insurance or cover healthcare costs. This would give individuals more freedom than the Individual Mandate does under the ACA.
Read more about this great alternative healthcare system here.