Requiring Individuals to Obtain Health Insurance: A Constitutional Analysis

[Excerpt] This report analyzes certain constitutional issues raised by requiring individuals to purchase health insurance under Congress’s authority under its taxing power or its power to regulate interstate commerce. It also addresses whether the exceptions to the minimum coverage provision to purchase health insurance satisfy First Amendment freedom of religion protections. Finally, this report discusses some of the more publicized legal challenges to ACA, as well additional issues that are currently before the Court

The PREHydrA:A Passive Return, High Force Density, Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator Concept for Wearable Robotics

This letter presents the Passive Return Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator (PREHydrA), an actuator for use in wearable robotics. It eliminates conventional hydraulic systems’ fluid supply and valves, potentially making it lighter, more efficient, and simpler. It also avoids the configuration-dependent friction of Bowden cable transmissions. A physical port-based network model was created of the PREHydrA that predicts force tracking with a maximum error of about 4 N. Closed loop output force control was used in experiments to obtain a mean absolute tracking error below 4 N for force references from 300 N amplitude at 0.5 Hz to 20 N amplitude at 10 Hz. These forces, frequencies, and corresponding velocities (up to 0.47 m/s) demonstrate that the PREHydrA's performance is sufficient for many wearable applications

NFIB v. Sebelius: Constitutionality of the Individual Mandate

Report that provides an overview of the Court's holding with respect to the individual mandate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) under the Commerce Clause and the Taxing Power. It also addresses possible implications of the decision on existing federal law and future legislation

Premium Tax Credits and Federal Health Insurance Exchanges: Questions and Answers

Legal challenges that may have a substantial impact on the implementation and operation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) concern whether premium tax credits are available for millions of individuals participating in federally administered health insurance exchanges. The Supreme Court has decided to weigh in on this issue in King v. Burwell. This report provides background on provisions of ACA relevant to this issue. It then answers questions concerning the legal challenges and potential implications of the Court's decision in King

Design, control and evaluation of the electro-hydrostatic actuator, PREHydrA, for gait restoration exoskeleton technology

A preliminary design for the PREHydrA (passive return, electro-hydrostatic actuator) concept; a high force density, remote actuator, is tested to requirements for wearable robotics technology intended for gait restoration; one of the most demanding tasks for wearable robotics. While the concept offers good wearability properties, it has never been used in wearable robotics for full support. This work shows that the combination of electro-hydrostatic actuators with a return force and series elastic element offers a good alternative to other actuation types. Custom and small commercial components are used in a design for the knee joint. An experimental setup with a pendulum representing a swinging lower leg was used to show force and angle tracking performance. The results of a maximum zero force (-400–1100 N actuator force range) tracking mean absolute error of 61 N (6.79 Nm joint torque error) at 5.5 Hz excitation and a full swing (70 ) within 0.35 s (0.8 m/s actuator velocity), match or exceed current state of the art exoskeleton actuation and control and show that the PREHydrA concept is very well suited for application in exoskeleton technology, especially when the cylinder design is optimized

Soft, Wearable, and Pleated Pneumatic Interference Actuator Provides Knee Extension Torque for Sit-to-Stand

Soft wearable actuators can help connect machines and humans, providing a personalized, ergonomic, and cooperative physical interface between people and their world. Until now, the torque of these interfaces has been limited, restricting their ability to assist the completely paralyzed. This article presents a method for realizing a soft structure that stably and comfortably applies a knee extension torque to the body that is sufficient for sit-to-stand (STS). The structure, the pleated pneumatic interference actuator (PPIA), is based on pleated inflatables; is lightweight, collapsible, and clothing integratable; and generates torque from buckling of a constrained fabric-reinforced rubber tube. Multiple PPIAs were integrated into a soft orthosis, the soft lift assister for the knee (SLAK). The SLAK was inflated to a pressure of 320 kPa, and it produced a maximum 324 Nm torque at a flexion angle of 82°. This exceeds the peak 180 Nm torque required for STS and torques required for other everyday tasks. The SLAK met the torque requirement for STS, which is more than 93% of the STS motion when worn by a test leg. Worn by a human, it shows potential for complete support, which is more than 100% of the motion. The PPIA's theoretical model overestimated torque at low to moderate flexion angles and underestimated PPIA torque at high flexion angles. Further development of the PPIA will focus on testing the SLAK with human subjects; increasing the PPIA's speed and flexibility; reducing the PPIA's bulk; and improving the PPIA's model accuracy