Single-Payer Healthcare v. Hobby Lobby Ruling
Earlier this week we wrote about the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark “Hobby Lobby” ruling on religious liberty–both the ruling itself and some common myths about the ruling. One more myth worth addressing has come up a few times since then: The myth that a single-payer healthcare system somehow would have averted the Hobby Lobby ruling.
The logic seems to be that under a single-payer system the government would pay for every person’s healthcare; as part of that system, the government would pay for all forms of contraception–including abortion-inducing drugs, sterilizations, and other practices many find unconscionable. Theoretically, under such a system Hobby Lobby never would have sued, because Hobby Lobby would not have been paying for anyone’s health insurance–the government would have paid for it.
The problematic question is this: Under a single-payer system, who ultimately pays for everyone’s healthcare? Answer: Taxpayers.
Early this morning the state legislature did what no one has done in the past five years: They told the Arkansas Lottery “No.”
Something historic is happening at the Arkansas Legislature this week.