Karen March says it has always seemed unjust to her that people had to choose between paying their bills and seeking health care.

She hopes the Supreme Court ruling to uphold President Barack Obama's federal health care law will change that by making health care more accessible.

"It's going to benefit many folks overall," said March, chairwoman of the nursing department at York College. "In my opinion, health care is really a societal problem and it is one that has had a profound impact on the lives of so many people."

The problem now is that individuals without insurance "wait to seek care until they are very seriously ill, and at that point care is going to be more prolonged and more expensive," she said.

"Right now the critically ill take up a huge portion of health care costs, but if people receive more preventative care, that can be minimized down the road," March said.

The new law is also a win for people with pre-existing medical conditions who deserve health care, March said.

The challenges the law brings are worth the long-term benefits, March said.

Benefits: HR Pharmaceuticals Inc., a national corporation that creates lubricating gels and has its headquarters at 5470 Mount Pisgah Road in York Township, is one of many drug and pharmaceutical companies that will be affected by the ruling.

"From a sales perspective we do see some benefits," said Colby Wiesman, chief operating officer. "Accessibility to health care will most likely result in some increases in demand."

"The true ramifications of the bill we do not know yet, but I'm not sure that anyone does," Wiesman said.

Bruce Bartels, president of WellSpan Health, echoed those sentiments, saying no one can foresee how everything will pan out with the new health care law.

Bartels said he is generally encouraged by what it means for WellSpan.

"Most of the health care organizations I know have developed strategies for adapting to it, and this gives the strategies a bit firmer ground to stand on since they know at least that the act is constitutional," Bartels said.

--Reach Chelsea Shank at 505-5432 or cshank@yorkdis patch.com