Where health care ranks among biggest Supreme Court decisions

The Supreme Court’s divided decision on health care reform might take years to evaluate. As the case is probably far from done when it comes to legal actions, where does it stand in historic terms?

Supreme_Court_of_the_United_StatesOfficially, the case is known as National Federation Of Independent Business v. Sebelius, and it upheld most of President Barack Obama’s health care agenda, with the exception of some Medicaid provisions.

The health care decision could have far-reaching social and economic effects for years, and it will enter the short list of decisions known by most Americans, by a few words, such as Miranda, Dred Scott, Roe v. Wade and Bush v. Gore.

As a yardstick, here is a short list what many experts consider as landmark court decisions. Some of these cases are still be contested today, which bodes as a sign for the health care case.

To be sure, there are many other decisions that were very important, but a handful of decisions are usually mentioned in any discussions of landmark cases.

Note that two of these 15 landmark cases were reversed over time: one by the amendment process, the other by the Supreme Court.

Marbury v. Madison (1803) The mother of all landmark Supreme Court decisions, it established the court’s ability to overrule acts of Congress that were in conflict with the Constitution.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819). The court decided the federal government can use any means the Constitution doesn’t forbid, and state governments can’t block the actions of the federal government.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857). The decision that drove the nation closer to Civil War. The court decided blacks couldn’t be U.S. citizens and had no standing to sue in federal courts. Two amendments overturned this decision after the war.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). The case established segregation as legal under the concept of separate but equal facilities. It was overturned in the 1950s.

Korematsu v. United States (1943). The ruling upheld the American policy of holding Japanese-Americans in interment camps.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954-1955), The court found segregated schools were unconstitutional in violation of the 14th Amendment. It also rejected the “separate but equal” doctrine adopted in Plessy v. Ferguson.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963). The ruling found that defendants without money must be provided representation without charge.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966). The court said police must advise criminal suspects of their rights to remain silent, to have a lawyer and to have one appointed if a suspect can’t afford an attorney.

Roe v. Wade (1973). The decision struck down some laws restricting abortion, especially in the early parts of pregnancy. The decision has been revised in other challenges but not repealed.

Univ. of Cal. v. Bakke (1978). The court decided race could be used as a factor in college admissions but quotas based on race weren’t allowed.

Texas v. Johnson (1989). The court ruled that offensive acts such as flag burning are protected by the First Amendment as freedom of speech.

Bush v. Gore (2000). The decision stopped the recount of presidential election ballots in Florida, settling the 2000 election.

Lawrence v. Texas (2003). The court found state laws unconstitutional laws that penalize adults who engage in consensual same-sex acts.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010). The court allowed corporations and unions to spend on certain political campaigns without limits under the First Amendment.

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Biggest Health Insurer Will Keep Parts of 'Obamacare,' Regardless of Court Ruling

UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health care provider, will keep major and popular parts of President Obama’s health care initiative, regardless of how the U.S. Supreme Court rules.

The company announced Monday that it plans to continue to provide customers with preventive health services without co-pays or out-of-pocket charges. The company will also allow parents to keep children on their health plans until age 26.

UnitedHealthcare will also observe the law’s prohibition against lifetime limits on insurance payouts and canceling coverage after a patient gets sick, unless that patient intentionally lied on the insurance application.

The announcement affects roughly 9 million consumers in the U.S. The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing several major challenges to the law, and is expected to issue rulings this month that could dispatch all or part of the law.

“The protections we are voluntarily extending are good for people’s health, promote broader access to quality care and contribute to helping control rising health care costs,” Stephen J. Hemsley, president and chief executive of UnitedHealth Group, said in a statement. “These provisions are compatible with our mission and continue our operating practices.”

Health and Human Services' chief health information technology officer, Farzad Mostashari, said it was part of a larger trend of the health reform law delivering permanent improvements to the health care industry.

"It goes to show how there are some changes afoot that are in the direction that we need to move," Mostashari told National Journal in an interview. "I'm greatly encouraged by what a lot of the commercial plans are doing."

The health insurance industry lobby also welcomed United's announcement.

"This is an example of health plans stepping up to give consumers peace of mind about their health care coverage," Americans Health Inusrance Plans Spokesman Robert Zirkelbach said in an e-mail.

Meghan McCarthy contributed.

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Biggest Health Threat for Your Age

Think your youth and chiseled six-pack guarantee you perfect health for life? Think again. Levels of health disparities have increased significantly in Americans born after 1980, reports a recent study from the American Sociological Review.

Researchers from three universities compiled data from the National Health Interview Survey and tracked the changes in respondents' health over a span of 23 years. Survey results revealed that people born after 1980 had the most diverse answers when rating their own health compared to older generations.

Although researchers can't pinpoint the exact reason for the increase in the health gap, their findings suggest that the "digital divide" may have a lot to do with it—some people are better educated about their health due to their access to medical information on the Internet, while others lack the necessary technology to routinely keep their health in check. (Check out The 10 Best Health Tips of the Year for ways you can stay in shape for free.)

But even if you find yourself flush with the most up-to-date medical resources, that won't necessarily stop Mother Nature from running her course on your body. Use this list of the most common problems for men to assess your health and beat aging at its own game.

Your 20s

Men in their 20s lack a sufficient amount of vitamin D in their diets, says Dr. Allen Peters, Medical Director of Nourishing Wellness Medical Center in California. And the gym might be partially to blame for that deficiency: Many young guys who are physically fit from concentrating on their appearance tend to forget about the importance of daily nutrition, Peters says.

A daily dose can improve your immune function and decrease your risk for developing multiple cancers (like prostate and gastrointestinal cancers). Plus, vitamin D can also help you burn fat faster. The vitamin isn't hard to come by, considering most fish and dairy products are packed with it.

Your 30s

According to the Cleveland Clinic, men transitioning into their 30s hold a greater risk for developing herniated discs, which begin to deteriorate and grow thinner with age. In fact, nearly one-third of adults over the age of 20 show signs of herniated discs, according to a report from A.D.A.M Inc.

Studies show several factors may contribute to the weakening of the discs, including weight gain and strain from improperly lifting a heavy object. There's no one quick fix for a herniated disc, but there are ways you can try and prevent it, like avoiding extreme sports, stretching, staying hydrated, and taking fish oils, Peters suggests. (Check out The Best "Stretch" You're Not Doing to learn how to injury-proof your workout.)

Your 40s

It's common for men in their 40s to start experiencing 'slow-down symptoms'—meaning gradual decreases in energy, sexual drive, brain functioning, and the ability to sleep, says Peters.

Men experience such symptoms because their bodies are creating sub-optimal levels of testosterone, which tends to be more prevalent with aging. (To find out if you have low testosterone, and what you can do about it, check out the all-new Men's Health Testosterone Center.) "And having low testosterone levels can really take a toll on the body—it's like trying to run a car without gasoline and oil. But luckily, slow-down symptoms can easily be determined and treated through hormonal testing," Peters says. That may sound extreme, but it's a simple test that can be done by your doctor through taking blood or saliva samples.

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Health care Alberta's biggest election issue, finds CBC poll

Health care tops the list of issues facing Alberta, according to a poll done for the CBC.

While health care remains the dominant issue among Albertans at 41 per cent, concerns about the economy at 31 per cent and the oil and gas sector at 27 per cent increased significantly compared to a similar survey done by Return on Insight (ROI) in January 2008.

"The fact that health care dominates isn't a change," says pollster Bruce Cameron. "It's still important ... but the interesting thing is how much concerns about oil and gas and the economy have come up. I guess it's a residual impact of the recession."

Alberta voters named the Progressive Conservatives as the best party to deal with most issues identified by CBC's poll.

Forty-three per cent of telephone respondents chose the Tories as the best party to manage the provincial economy.

The Wildrose Party trails the PCs by almost 20 points, or more, on all economic and management issues identified by poll participants.

The Tories scored better than most other parties on health care and education, but not on the environment or social problems.

The PCs are viewed as the best party to deal with education by one third, or 33 per cent, well ahead of the Wildrose Party.

Voters, in fact, rated the NDP higher on dealing with education at 19 per cent compared to the Wildrose Party's 13 per cent.

The NDP shows considerable strength in voters' minds in terms of being the best party to deal with issues such as environmental protection (tied with the PCs at 25 per cent) and addressing social issues — 27 per cent compared to 24 per cent for the governing PCs.

Mount Royal University policy studies professor Lori Williams says health care presents a potential strength for the Tories.

"There's a fight for how to solve health care on the left — and frankly, I think health care is one of the issues that leaves the Wildrose [Party] flat footed because they don't have a simple, tangible solution to the problems," Williams told CBC.

"They seem to be more associated with cutting the debt and the deficit."

Political scientist David Taras predicts the Tories are planning what he calls an "oxygen suppression campaign" in the coming spring election.

"What the Tories are going to try and do is cut off avenues of attack and prevent the Wildrose [Party] from having any oxygen at all," said Taras.

"The Tories know," he added, "that if they can play no errors baseball, they are likely to win a real hefty majority."

ROI's poll for CBC surveyed 803 Albertans from Jan. 25 to Jan. 31. The poll is considered accurate within +/- 3.5 percentage points 19 times out 20.

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Monday At 4 pm On Dr. Oz: Solve Your Biggest Health Complaints

Dr. Oz's seven-day plan to solve your biggest health complaints. Stop your pain without prescriptions. Headache solutions for morning, noon and night. Plus, fight fatigue and cut addiction to artificial sweeteners in just one week.

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Dr. Oz's seven-day plan to solve your biggest health complaints. Stop your pain without prescriptions. Headache solutions for morning, noon and night. Plus, fight fatigue and cut addiction to artificial sweeteners in just one week.

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