Health Reform

Mandatory study guide for anyone who wants to hold a strong opinion on the Affordable Care Act (ACA): Kaiser Family Foundation Health Reform Gateway.

For example…

And on All Things Considered, an expert answers the following ACA questions from listeners:

• Will the penalty for not having health insurance affect people at all income levels, or will low-income people be spared?
• If someone is only insured for six or seven months a year, will there still be a fine?
• I understand that businesses above a certain size have to provide a health care insurance option, but do they have to pay for it? Does the law require a certain contribution from the employer, or can the employer make the employees just pay, say, 99 percent of the premiums?
• How does the law affect Medicare recipients? I heard it cuts billions of dollars from the program. Does it have other effects?
• My son lives overseas, where he is covered by the national health insurance plan. As an American citizen, would he be required to pay the fee for not being covered under an American plan?
• I am a veteran getting my medical care from Veterans Affairs. Am I correct that this counts as having insurance, when it comes to the requirement that everyone be covered or pay a penalty?
• If my current insurance policy does not meet the minimum requirements in the Affordable Care Act, and my insurer must raise the standards of my policy, can my insurer raise the premiums I pay?