Health Care Reform: One analyst says the Democrats were amateurish in writing their overhaul bill. This might be worth more than a snicker. It could mean the courts can strike down the entire law at once.

Various parts of the Democrats’ health care reform law have been held up as pieces that might not stand up to a constitutional rigor.

The individual mandate that requires those who aren’t previously covered by insurance to buy a plan is the most likely place for the legal objections to begin. Another provision that is being disputed at the constitutional level is the expansion of Medicaid that forces states to increase their spending on that program.

But those are only two pieces of a legislative leviathan. Even if one or both were stricken, the bulk of the law’s burden would remain.

However, Greg Scandlen, a senior fellow at the Heartland Institute, says due to a little-known legal concept the entire law would unravel if a single part was found to be outside the Constitution.

“Apparently there was no ’severability’ clause written into this law, which shows how amateurish the process was,” he wrote. “Virtually every bill I’ve ever read includes a provision that if any part of the law is ruled unconstitutional the rest of the law will remain intact. Not this one. That will likely mean that the entire law will be thrown out if a part of it is found to violate the Constitution.”

No argument from us. The bill writers and lawmakers who voted for it without reading it were unprofessional.

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$15.2 Billion Tax Increase on Out of Pocket Medical Expenses

Beginning January 1, 2013, ObamaCare limits the medical expense deduction, which will raise taxes by $15.2 billion over ten years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Under current law, if out-of-pocket medical expenses, including health insurance premiums and medical procedures not covered by health insurance, exceed 7.5 percent of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), then those expenses are fully deductible.

Americans who have high out-of-pocket medical costs or are sick take this deduction.   Even some of the most expensive and comprehensive health insurance plans – including FEHBPs – don’t cover high-cost medical procedures, such as in-vitro fertilization where the cost for the procedure and the prescription drugs can run as high as $20,000 per treatment and where families can have multiple treatments in a year.

ObamaCare increases the medical expense threshold from 7.5 percent of AGI to 10 percent on most Americans (seniors get a three-year reprieve) beginning on January 1, 2013.   The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the new limit will affect 14.8 million taxpayers — 14.7 million of whom will earn less than $200,000 a year!

For further reading, click here.

For previous ObamaCare Flatlines, visit www.gop.gov.

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Forty-seven percent (47%) of voters nationwide believe repeal of the recently passed health care law will be good for the economy.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 33% believe repeal will be bad for the economy. Twelve percent (12%) say it will have no impact, and eight percent (8%) are not sure.

From the moment it was passed, a majority of voters around the country have wanted to see the health care law repealed.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of Republicans believe repeal would be good for the economy, while 59% of Democrats believe it would be bad. Among those not affiliated with either political party, 47% believe repeal would be good for the economy, and 29% believe it would be bad.

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