Obamacare... Separating Fact and Fiction

Starting toda y individuals can sign up for health care insurance by way of the exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act. So far seventeen states and the District of Columbia have set up their own exchanges, also known as insurance marketplaces; the rest will use either the federal health insurance exchange or run a joint state-federal exchange to provide coverage. It's been a bumpy ride so far, given the complexity of the effort and the politics surrounding it. Many Republican Congressional members are hell-bent on defunding Obamacare even though it's law and the Supreme Court reaffirmed its constitutionality.

They won't agree to continue funding the government unless Obamacare is defunded or delayed by a year. And Democrats -- in Congress and the White House -- are firmly committed to just the opposite: That leaves us where we are today: Lori Robertson , managing director of Factcheck. We'll try to help set the record straight so read on:. Health Care Premiums are Rising. Robertson says whether health care premiums are rising or falling for individuals depends on their particular situation. If you don't, you may see an increase.

You health insurance premium will also depend where you buy your insurance--including the state and locality--your age and your income.

At certain income levels, participants in so-called "silver" plans--the second cheapest--can qualify for government subsidies, which would reduce costs. Obamacare is Killing Jobs.

Robertson says there's little evidence that Obamacare is a job killer. She explains that some people may reduce their working hours because they no longer need a second or third job to pay insurance premiums, while others may choose to retire early knowing they can't be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Not true, says Robertson. But she notes that "some exchanges may have a small provider network," so if you choose such a plan you may have to choose a new doctor. Another misconception, says Robertson: Most of the fixes were completed by January and are all done now.

This is both true and false. However, like all websites, there is always the possibility that it can be hacked. Human ingenuity and greed will always mean there is someone somewhere who will try to break in.

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No one is required to use either healthcare. There are no fines or penalties for not using healthcare. News organizations, particularly cable news channels, love public opinion polls because they help them create stories on slow news days.

This next group addresses some rumors that resulted from polls. According to a Gallup poll in April , just under 10 million people got insurance through an Obamacare website. In most cases, those who wanted to keep their old insurance could. Some low-cost policies that did not meet the minimum standards, as defined by the law, were taken off the market. As of June , all religious employers are exempt from having to pay for contraceptives as a part of their healthcare plan.

For instance, religious nonprofits such as hospitals or universities, and for-profit companies with religious leadership, can opt out of paying for contraceptive coverage by notifying their insurer. The insurance company can then provide the coverage independently to employees or students at those institutions who do wish to receive it. Taxes were also increased on the health care industry, including physicians, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. However, the majority of taxpayers and businesses are unaffected by the tax-rate increases.

This one probably began like the childhood game of telephone, where a message is whispered from one person to another and comes out the other end as something completely different. The logic behind it was that exercise has health benefits, so exercise equipment can be considered a medical device. The medical device excise tax only applies to manufacturers, not consumers. Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann is personally responsible for getting this one going. The only actual involvement the IRS has with health care are the tax credits. The IRS sends insurance companies the tax credits for qualifying individuals and families.

The flow is one-way, and the IRS does not have access to any of your health care information.

There is no IRS database, and they are no more able to see your health records than the cashier at the supermarket. On both sides of the same coin, business and employment are discussed in this section. While rumors about mass job losses and businesses being driven into bankruptcy are less common, they still persist. Most small businesses are exempt from having to provide health insurance to employees. The employer mandate, which was delayed a year, begins in January for businesses with more than full-time employees 30 hours a week or more.

They will have to start providing employer-sponsored health insurance plans or face penalties.

Companies that employ more than 50 full-timers start in According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, no one is expected to lose their job because of Obamacare. The rumor first came to life in the North Carolina Senate race, when Thom Tillis made the claim in a TV ad that 2 million jobs would be lost. The reason being is they will no longer need the extra income to pay for health insurance. Another side to this story gained prominence thanks to a interview with Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

He said that up to three-quarters of small businesses planned to lay off workers to avoid having to comply with the law. The claim was debunked by the U. Whether or not they follow through once the employer mandate takes effect remains to be seen.

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The items here are mostly nuts-and-bolts issues about the law. Most of them are complete fiction rooted in one part of the statute or another. The IRS, which is the agency responsible for collecting the fees and taxes, does not have police authority. The only authority the IRS has for collecting the health care-associated taxes and fees is to withhold it from refunds.

They are not even allowed to levy wages or assets to collect outstanding penalties. This includes citizens and non-citizens, legal and undocumented alike. Undocumented individuals are not allowed to apply for Medicaid or Medicare. This provision of the law is for an optional program that sends nurses on house calls to check on pregnant and poor women. The rumor started when the South Carolina legislature decided to address a problem that did not exist.

The program is entirely voluntary and does not involve inspections of any kind. While it is true that Congress regularly exempts its members from all sorts of laws and rules, this is not one of them. Members of the House and Senate, along with their staff, are required to have health insurance or pay a fine, just like everyone else. As employees of the federal government, they do receive employer-sponsored health insurance, just as other federal employees do.

She started the ball rolling with an August Facebook post. Before Obamacare, Medicare did not cover patients discussing living wills, do-not-resuscitate, and other end-of-life decisions with doctors. Governor Palin transformed that into the idea of death panels.