ObamaCare – Top Questions Answered

What you need to know about ObamaCare? We scanned the net to find out for you:

Is Obamacare still at risk of getting repealed or defunded?

Republicans would like to think so, but it’s nearly impossible at this point. The U.S. House of Representatives has voted 42 times to dismantle the law, but hasn’t succeeded once. The Democratic-controlled Senate won’t agree to get rid of the law in its entirety.

Even though Republicans haven’t been able to completely repeal Obamacare, they are successfully slowing the law’s implementation on the state level. That type of sabotage is impeding health reform in some ways, but it’s not doing away with it completely.

Why did they create Obamacare?

The goal is give more Americans access to affordable, quality health insurance and to reduce the growth in health care spending in the U.S. Under this act, EVERY citizen can receive healthcare, no matter your age or ANY preexisting conditions.

Does this replace my Medicare, Medicaid or the Insurance I get through my job?

ObamaCare does not replace private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. If you have health coverage you like, you can keep it.

What is so great about Obamacare?

The Best provision about this act is that it stop insurance companies from dropping you when you are sick or if you make an honest mistake on your application, prevent against gender discrimination, stop insurance companies from making unjustified rate hikes, do away with life-time and annual limits, and require all insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions.

How am I supposed to pay for this every month?

Most Americans will qualify for government subsidies to lower that price. Recent data shows that Americans will pay an average monthly premium of $328 for mid-tier or “silver plan” health insurance.

Do I HAVE to get covered under Obamacare, if I don’t, what will happen?

YES EVERYONE IS REQUIRED TO HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. Beginning in January, all Americans are required under the law to have health insurance or face a fine. Next year, that penalty will be $95 per uninsured adult or 1 percent of taxable household income, whichever is greater. But the penalties climb every year. By 2016, fines for not having coverage would be $695 per adult, or 2.5 percent of income (again, whichever is greater and capped at $2,085 per household).

How will the government know if I have health insurance?

You’ll have to tell them, via the taxes that you file for 2014. Starting then, the Internal Revenue Service will send out a form where you’ll fill in the type of health plan you purchased (or, if you didn’t purchase coverage, noting that fact). Employers might hand out pre-populated versions of these forms to make things a little bit easier.

I’m 25 and uninsured, but my folks have insurance. What does the law do for me?

For you, Obamacare might be the best deal: The health law allows young adults up to age 26 to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan. About 3 million people have taken up this option so far. So start bugging your mom to fill out the paperwork.

Are dental or vision insurance plans affected by the new law?

Unfortunately, there is no dental coverage as part of Obamacare, unless you qualify for Medicaid. Some are pushing for the inclusion of vision in the new health exchanges, but it is not currently part of the plan.

What if I can’t afford any health coverage?

If you can’t afford health coverage right now, Obamacare hopes to change that for you. There are two main ways the health reform law could accomplish that.

First, if your income falls below 138 percent of the federal poverty line (for reference, that’s about $15,415 for an individual and $26,344 for a family of three), you could be eligible for expanded Medicaid coverage under the law. But it depends. Although Obamacare initially intended for the Medicaid expansion to be universal, the Supreme Court ruled that it should be optional — so now, not every state is participating. Check this map to see if your state is going to expand Medicaid.

Second, you could be eligible for federal assistance to afford an insurance plan in the new insurance marketplace in your state. Thanks to the federal subsidies available to help Americans buy plans on the newly-created marketplaces, most of the options will be relatively inexpensive. About six in 10 people will be able to buy one of those plans for less than $100 per month. You can find out whether you’ll qualify for a federal subsidy by using this calculator.

How do I get started?

To sign up for Obamacare, go to HealthCare.gov, the official federal site set up to enroll people. You will be asked to:

1. Create an account, including providing some basic information.
2. Apply for coverage. That will involve entering household income, size and additional information.
3. Select a health plan. You will be presented with all the health insurance plans you qualify for so that coverage types can be compared.
4. Enroll in a health plan. Coverage starts as soon as Jan. 1, 2014.

Anyone who needs help choosing a plan also may turn to so-called “navigators” in their state, who are available to answer questions and otherwise ease the process of signing up for Obamacare. People also may apply for coverage online, by mail or with the help of a navigator. That said, some states are farther ahead than others in hiring such personnel, and for now it remains unclear just how smoothly the process will run.

How do gay couples factor into Obamacare?

The law itself mandates that insurance companies can’t discriminate against gay couples. So, if you are already on or are signing up for a private insurance plan and you want to get coverage for your same-sex partner, you can — just as long as your plan includes some form of spousal benefits.

Thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, the government now recognizes same-sex couples for federal benefits. That means that if you and your same-sex partner are in a state that recognizes your marriage, you’ll be able to join the exchanges as a family unit. If you are eligible for Medicaid, the government is also working on creating a system that recognizes your legal marriage and treats you as a family unit.

Where do I go to ask more questions?

There are a ton of options for where to get information on Obamacare, but a great place to start is at www.healthcare.gov — www.cuidadodesalud.gov for Spanish-speakers — or at www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform. The Kaiser Foundation, too, can give you more specific guidance if you still have any questions. And, on top of all that, another neat aspect of the new law is that your state is now required to employ people called “navigators,” whose sole job is to help you navigate the massive new law.

Interesting Facts:

United States is currently the nation with the highest Healthcare costs — unfortunately, in an area where we’d prefer to rank lower. The U.S. spends a staggering 17.9% of its GDP on health care. That’s $8,680 per person — 61% higher than the next-highest nation. However, Americans’ life expectancy of 78.7 years places 27th among OECD members and is over a year less than the OECD average.

Our neighbors to the north, Canada, stands as the second-largest country in the world in terms of geographical area, and is ranked 7th^th in Healthcare costs in the world. With Obamacare, the US will now have similar Universal Healthcare as Canada. Canadians spend 11.4% of GDP on health care. The country’s $4,445 per capita in medical spending ranks seventh-highest among OECD nations AND the life expectancy of a Candian 80.8 years, about 2 years above the US average.

Source: http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-facts.php