Impact of the federal healthcare law on Arkansans

LITTLE ROCK, AR - Eddie Pannell runs harmony health care in Little Rock where 100% of the patients are uninsured. When it comes to how this morning's Supreme Court ruling will affect him, Pannell feels like a lot of Arkansans right now.

Eddie Pannell - harmony health clinic - "It remains to be fully seen. I'm not sure exactly how it will affect us," Pannell said.

Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Jay Bradford says the big issue resolved by today's ruling is that by 2014, Arkansans will have to buy health insurance or - in his words - pay a small tax.

"A: we are on time to be ready and B: it is going forward because of the Supreme Court ruling," Bradford said.

Bradford also expects health insurance premiums to drop because of the large number of people paying into the system. Also, he says no one will be excluded because of preexisting conditions.

"Now, if you've got a baby who is a premature baby, they can get insurance just like a well-adjusted baby," Bradford said.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Lt. Gov. Mark Darr has a different take.

"It significantly expands abortion funding and it puts federal bureaucrats in charge of literally millions of decisions that should be confined to doctors and patients," Lt. Darr said.

In other words, exactly how today's ruling affects Pannell and the Arkansans he serves remains to be seen, but that's just fine with him.

"We'll just see how it plays out and we're going to be here providing quality health care for our patients until further notice," Pannell said.

Governor Beebe released a statement regarding today's ruling:

"We will study the impact the Court's ruling will have on health care in Arkansas going forward. In the mean time, our separate initiative to create cost savings and improve health care in Arkansas continues. Our aim is to set an example other states can follow, regardless of what transpires next in Washington, D.C."