A recent lawsuit filed by the Thomas More Law Center against the mandate in President Obama’s healthcare reform bill was denied by a US judge according to the article “US Judge Upholds Individual Mandate in Obama Healthcare Law” by Jeremy Pelofsky on InsuranceJournal.com.  The mandate to carry health insurance has many Americans up in arms, but the Obama administration believes it’s for the best and is necessary to make Obamacare work.  This mandate will be enforced starting in 2014.

A conservative interest group filed this lawsuit arguing that the mandate is unconstitutional and out of the realm of Congress’s authority.  US Judge George Steeh ruled that the Constitution’s Commerce Clause gives Congress the authority to enact President Obama’s plan.  His decision is outlined in a 20 page document which includes the explanation that the mandate is intended to help ensure everyone can have affordable health care and eventually drive costs down for everyone.

There are currently many lawsuits against the healthcare reform bill and there will be a handful tossed out.  With this said, the Justice Department is confident they can effectively defend the lawsuits that find merit.  With the passion behind both sides of this debate, the heat is sure to continue for years to come.  Hopefully both sides can eventually come together to create a healthcare system that works in everyone’s best interest.