Knowing the Obamacare facts and myths can help a person understands the recent court ruling and the effects of the new law. There are many myths surrounding the Affordable care Act. An informed public needs to be able to separate the reality from the myths.
Although it is sometimes derided as a government takeover of health care, the Act does not replace private insurance with government health care. It does add new regulations to private insurance companies. However, this is a far cry from socialized medicine, as the bulk of insurance will still be provided by for profit companies.
The most controversial portion of the act is the individual mandate. But even this is not as mandatory as it sounds. There are no criminal penalties for not purchasing insurance.
In fact, the law grants subsidies to most working and middle class families. Even families earning up to ninety thousand a year can receive subsidies. Also, really poor households are exempt from complying with the mandate altogether. This includes married couples who earn nineteen thousand a year or less for example.
Furthermore, if someone who is required to buy insurance fails to do so they will not be sent to jail or be assessed a fine directly. Instead, they will be subject to a penalty of ninety five dollars in 2014 (the number increases gradually to a maximum of 625 dollars annually a few years later)that could be taken from their income tax refund, but otherwise there is no enforcement mechanism beyond that.
Separating Obamacare facts from fiction can be complex, but there are many sources of information that accurately debunk the myths surrounding health care reform. Some important provisions of the law include one that allows children 26 or under to stay on their parent's plan. Another provision ensures that companies cannot refuse coverage because of a pre-existing condition. The new legislation will expand the number of people who have affordable health care.
Although it is sometimes derided as a government takeover of health care, the Act does not replace private insurance with government health care. It does add new regulations to private insurance companies. However, this is a far cry from socialized medicine, as the bulk of insurance will still be provided by for profit companies.
The most controversial portion of the act is the individual mandate. But even this is not as mandatory as it sounds. There are no criminal penalties for not purchasing insurance.
In fact, the law grants subsidies to most working and middle class families. Even families earning up to ninety thousand a year can receive subsidies. Also, really poor households are exempt from complying with the mandate altogether. This includes married couples who earn nineteen thousand a year or less for example.
Furthermore, if someone who is required to buy insurance fails to do so they will not be sent to jail or be assessed a fine directly. Instead, they will be subject to a penalty of ninety five dollars in 2014 (the number increases gradually to a maximum of 625 dollars annually a few years later)that could be taken from their income tax refund, but otherwise there is no enforcement mechanism beyond that.
Separating Obamacare facts from fiction can be complex, but there are many sources of information that accurately debunk the myths surrounding health care reform. Some important provisions of the law include one that allows children 26 or under to stay on their parent's plan. Another provision ensures that companies cannot refuse coverage because of a pre-existing condition. The new legislation will expand the number of people who have affordable health care.
Obamacare Facts
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