The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) is now a reality. And after the election of Barack Obama to a second term, it is clear that “Obamacare” is going to remain with us.

The national debate over health care reform has been one of the most divisive issues in our modern public discourse. One reason for this is that people often start discussing political solutions without really understanding the issues. The politics are messy, but the ethical issues at stake are critically important. Without rancor or political posturing, we take a look at the ethical problems in our current health care system and see how Obamacare may help.