The New York Times 2010s: on Health Care

Antonio Delgado: Public option benefits rural areas by providing competition

Lauren Underwood: I have a pre-existing condition

Lauren Underwood: Healthcare is a human right

Bill Weld: Tweak ObamaCare with more free market and more choices

Donald Trump: ObamaCare is a disaster. You know it, we all know it. It is going up at numbers that nobody has ever seen worldwide. Nobody has ever seen numbers like this for health care. It is only getting worse. In 2017, it implodes by itself. ObamaCare has pushed the uninsured rate to an all-time low of just over 9 percent while extending coverage to some 20 million people (including Medicaid expansion, exchanges and young adults on family plans). The uninsured rate would be lower still had the 19 holdout states expanded Medicaid.

Bill Weld: I would tweak ObamaCare to make it work better--more market mechanisms, greater role for doctors and patients, narrow the individual mandate.

Antonin Scalia: We should start calling ObamaCare "SCOTUS-care"

"It is up to Congress to design its laws with care," he added, "and it is up to the people to hold them to account if they fail to carry out that responsibility."

Justice Scalia announced his dissent from the bench, a sign of bitter disagreement. His summary was laced with notes of incredulity and sarcasm, which sometimes drawing amused murmurs in the courtroom as he described the "interpretive somersaults" he said the majority had performed to reach the decision. "We really should start calling this law SCOTUS-care," Justice Scalia said, to laughter from the audience.

John Roberts: ObamaCare improves health insurance market: not destroy them

The court decided in King v. Burwell that tax subsidies are being provided lawfully in three dozen states that have decided not to run the marketplaces for insurance coverage.

The question in the case was what to make of a phrase in the law that seems to say the subsidies are available only to people buying insurance on "an exchange established by the state." Chief Justice Roberts wrote that the words must be understood as part of a larger statutory plan. "In this instance," he wrote, "the context and structure of the act compel us to depart from what would otherwise be the most natural reading of the pertinent statutory phrase."

Hillary Clinton: The science is clear: vaccines work

Hillary Clinton weighed in with a jab at vaccine naysayers: "The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and vaccines work."

Howard Dean, a presidential candidate in 2004 and a former DNC chairman, said there are three groups of people who object to required vaccines: "One is people who are very much scared about their kids getting autism, which is an idea that has been completely discredited. Two, is entitled people who don't want to put any poison in their kids and view this as poison, which is ignorance more than anything else. And three, people who are antigovernment in any way."

"But the truth," added Dean, a physician, "is you can be conservative without putting kids in harm's way."

Howard Dean: Only anti-government conservatives oppose vaccines

Howard Dean, a presidential candidate in 2004 and a former DNC chairman, said there are three groups of people who object to required vaccines: "One is people who are very much scared about their kids getting autism, which is an idea that has been completely discredited. Two, is entitled people who don't want to put any poison in their kids and view this as poison, which is ignorance more than anything else. And three, people who are antigovernment in any way."

"But the truth," added Dean, a physician, "is you can be conservative without putting kids in harm's way." The issue has more political potency among conservative voters who are highly skeptical of anything required by the government.

Mike Huckabee: Vaccines don't cause autism; I get vaccinated myself

Asked about the measles vaccine controversy, a spokesman for Perry affirmed his commitment to "protecting life" and pointed to efforts by his administration to increase immunization rates.

Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who is considering a run for president, has noted that the link between autism and vaccines was discredited. As governor, he received his flu shot at the State Capitol and encouraged all Arkansans to get vaccinated.

Rick Perry: Increase immunization rates as part of protecting life

Asked about the measles vaccine controversy, a spokesman for Perry affirmed his commitment to "protecting life" and pointed to efforts by his administration to increase immunization rates.

Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor who is considering a run for president, has noted that the link between autism and vaccines was discredited. As governor, he received his flu shot at the State Capitol and encouraged all Arkansans to get vaccinated.

Ed Gillespie: Benefits from GOP resistance to the new health law

Jeanne Shaheen: No apologies for helping people get affordable insurance

"She makes no apologies for trying to help people get affordable health insurance," Shaheen's husband said. And she has called for the White House to extend the enrollment period, saying citizens should not be penalized for the government's botched sign-up process.

Mr. Shaheen also noted that Brown might face questions about health care himself. As a state senator in 2006, he supported Gov. Mitt Romney's health care overhaul in Massachusetts, which was the model for the Obama plan. Brown later argued that the two plans were very different, but enough similarities exist that New Hampshire's conservative voters could question whether he shares their values.

Scott Brown: Supported RomneyCare in 2006; it's different than ObamaCare

"Up until it blew up, she was still one of the No. 1 supporters," he said.

"She makes no apologies for trying to help people get affordable health insurance," Shaheen's husband said. Mr. Shaheen also noted that Mr. Brown might face questions about health care himself. As a state senator in 2006, he supported Gov. Mitt Romney's health care overhaul in Massachusetts, which was the model for the Obama plan. Mr. Brown later argued that the two plans were very different, but enough similarities exist that New Hampshire's conservative voters could question whether he shares their values.

Jill Stein: ObamaCare took single-payer & public option off the table

A. Small time, sure. There are minor improvements. But on the other hand, he took single-payer off the table. He absolutely took a public option off the table. And how about bringing Wall Street in, the guys who created the problem, among his first appointments. It was pretty clear right then that this was going to be business as usual on steroids. We're certainly more equitable, or more healthy, with what Obama has brought.

John Hoeven: Tort reform over Canadian-style, single-payer' plan

Hoeven didn't say if he would repeal the federal health care plan, but said it needed to be fixed with tort reform and the ability for people to pick their own doctor and insurance. He also said the issue showed a clear difference between the two men and criticized Potter for supporting--while deputy insurance commissioner in the late 1970s--a "Canadian-style, single-payer'' plan. "He truly believes the federal government should run your health care. I don't,'' said Hoeven.

Tracy Potter: ObamaCare isn't perfect, but a step in the right direction

Hoeven didn't say if he would repeal the federal health care plan, but said it needed to be fixed with tort reform and the ability for people to pick their own doctor and insurance. He also said the issue showed a clear difference between the two men and criticized Potter for supporting--while deputy insurance commissioner in the late 1970s--a "Canadian-style, single-payer'' plan. "He truly believes the federal government should run your health care. I don't,'' said Hoeven.

Paul Kirk: Lobbyist for pharmaceutical company in 1990s

"It's going to be a continual public appearance of a conflict of interest," said a spokesperson from Public Citizen, a nonpartisan watchdog group in Washington, "even if Paul Kirk is virtuous enough to not care how it impacts his own finances."

Mr. Kirk said Thursday that he was resigning from the Hartford board immediately, and several ethics lawyers said he would not be violating Senate rules by voting on the health care legislation.