Aspects of the ACA You May Not Know (Part I)

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (yes, that's the real name) has certainly been getting a lot of 'play' since Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee tried in vain to 'defund' 'Obamacare' (as I am now and forever going to call it).  The second try out of the House of Representatives was to 'delay it for a year' which also failed.

On October 1st, the website was rolled out by the government to an instant debacle that we are still talking about but, calm down folks, our fearless leader (Obama) has a fix.  In the meantime, since that rollout, better than 5 million people have lost their healthcare insurance.  Insurance, I might add, they were perfectly happy with.  Well you know all that so let me get to the point of this article.

Remembering that this is 2400+ pages of 'legal speak' and referring to this, that or the other section of another law, I hesitated at first to do research.  I was aware of a couple of items nobody seems to want to mention or maybe the folks on the hill STILL don't know all of what's in it.  I lay a portion of this chaos we are currently enduring for the President's 'signature legislation'  at the feet of none other than Chief Justice John Roberts, who was (I believe) coerced into declaring this abomination legal because Congress has the ability to 'tax' us.  This, even though before reaching the Supreme Court, the administration said it wasn't a 'tax'.

The following is taken directly from the PPACA Reconciliation Act Certified Full-Text Version:

Read the Full Text of the Affordable Care Act

• Full Text of the Affordable Care Act and Reconciliation Act (PDF – 2.6 MB)
• Certified Full-Text Version: Affordable Care Act (PDF – 4.27 MB)
• Certified Full-Text Version: Reconciliation Act (PDF – 282 KB)

The first link listed above contains the full text of the Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 in one document. It is not official and is provided for your convenience. The second and third links contain the official certified full text of the law.

THE FOLLOWING PORTION WAS TAKEN FROM THE RECONCILIATION ACT:

SEC. 2103.  INVESTMENT IN HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS.
Section 371(b)(1)(A) (20 U.S.C. 1067q(b)(1)(A) is amended by striking "and 2009." and all that follows and inserting "through 2019.  The authority to award grants under this section shall expire at the end of fiscal year 2019."

The following is taken directly from the 20 USC so you can view where the change occurs:

"20 USC § 1067q - Investment in historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions"

"(b) New investment of funds
(1) In general
(A) Provision of funds
There shall be available to the Secretary to carry out this section, from funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $255,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2019. The authority to award grants under this section shall expire at the end of fiscal year 2019."

(Note:  The minorities cited were (6) Native American, (7) Native American Pacific Islander, (8) Native American-serving nontribal institution, (9) Predominantly Black Institution)
There were more references to students, loans, etc. which aren't necessary to get into here or now.  You are probably wondering then what my point is?  Well, here it is:

This is supposed to be a HEALTHCARE LAW.  Can anyone explain why this particular portion is contained in a healthcare law?  What, exactly, does "Investment in Historically Black Colleges, etc. have to do with healthcare?  Anyone? 

More to come in Part II.