Wednesday, Thursday 28, 2012

"The ramifications of today's ruling will take time to unfold, due to the complexity of the law itself and the Court's opinions," Pearson said.  "Although Congress may yet repeal the law, we can't take that for granted and should begin to consider the impacts on Louisiana and specifically our communities.  Healthcare is a $1.2 billion industry in St. Tammany Parish alone, and while access to healthcare is an important element, so is the job-creating industry itself.

"It goes without saying that I disagree with the Court's decision, and  am very concerned about the effect it will have not only on our healthcare but on the economy overall," Pearson added.  "I will be initiating dialogue through the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce and with administrators at Slidell Memorial Hospital and Ochsner Northshore to gauge their reaction and, of course, I'll be visiting with colleagues from the Legislature to discuss how we must move ahead to minimize any negative results of these events.  In the meantime, I need to hear from citizens, too, and invite constituents to email me with their thoughts on this issue."