The
ObamaCare Myths about
health care
aren't just confusing, they are wrong. ObamaCare myths range from
premium increases to ObamaCare implanting RFID chips in all Americans.
ObamaCare Facts aims find out the truth behind the myths about
ObamaCare. When it comes to the well being of Americans, there is no
room for opinions and rhetoric.
The Following Are Some Common Myths About Obama's Health Care Reform
New ObamaCare myths are coming out every day. Keep checking back as we fact check the rhetoric.
ObamaCare Myth: ObamaCare Creates Health Insurance
ObamaCare doesn’t create health insurance, it regulates the
health insurance industry and helps to increase quality, affordability
and availability of private insurance. The law does this by creating new
rules for insurers, expanding Medicaid to tens of millions of more
Americans and by implementing a Health Insurance Marketplace where
Americans can buy subsidized, regulated health insurance in a
competitive private market.
ObamaCare doesn’t create a government-run
healthcare system or Government insurance. It greatly expands business for the private for-profit
health insurance
industry, creating about 12 million new customers. In other words
ObamaCare regulates the free market, it doesn't replace it. It does
however expand and improve Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP which are types
of Government health insurance. It also expands private employer based
insurance.
ObamaCare Myth: You Have to Use the Health Insurance Marketplace
No one has to use the marketplace. Anyone who likes there
current insurance can keep it. If you have Government based insurance
like Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP then you are covered. If you like your
work based insurance, you can keep that too. The marketplace is for
uninsured Americans and those who don't like their current plan. Those
making under 400% of the Federal Poverty Level may get help with monthly
premium costs and reduced out-of-pocket costs on insurance purchased
through the marketplace. Please be aware that if you have access to
affordable employer based coverage that provides at least the coverage
of a "bronze" plan sold on the marketplace, you won't be able to get
cost assistance on the exchange.
ObamaCare Myth: My Employer Has to Cover Me
The employer mandate has been pushed back to 2015. Employers
with more than 50 full-time equivalent employees will have to cover
their employees come 2015. Small businesses don't have to insure
employees but can get tax breaks of up to 50% of their employee premium
costs via the
health insurance marketplaces. Learn more about
Obamacare and small business.
ObamaCare Myth: Congress is Exempt from ObamaCare
Congress isn't exempt from ObamaCare. Congress and their staff
have work based insurance, so thus should be able to stay on their
current plan. However an amendment to bill before it became law said
they must use health insurance marketplace. They will use the
marketplace, but since their staffers, making as little as $30,000 can't
get subsidies through the marketplace (they have access to employer
based coverage) their employer (the Government) is allowed to cover part
of the cost of their premiums. Since all members of Congress have been
well aware of this since 2010, any other claim is a willful
misrepresentation of the truth.
ObamaCare Myth: ObamaCare Takes Sides
"ObamaCare", officially titled the Affordable Care Act, was
originally meant as a pejorative term to equate the bill with the
current president in order to play politics U.S. health care reform. The
truth is the Affordable Care Act is the result of a joint effort
between both sides of the isle, health insurance companies and law
makers and has been being worked on for decades. The law itself is based
on "RomneyCare", The Massachusetts health care insurance reform law,
St. 2006, c.58. "RomneyCare" was based on the individual mandate which
was proposed by the Heritage Foundation in 1989. The individual mandate
was championed by Republicans as alternative to single payer as it put
individual responsibility at the forefront of health care reform.
ObamaCare Myth: ObamaCare Only Helps X People
The truth is ObamaCare helps everyone. Some of us might pay
more, but everyone will be able to enjoy better quality health insurance
and more rights and protections in regards to healthcare. When it comes
to cost the rule of thumb is that the less you make the more the law
helps you. Those who may pay more include individuals and families
making over 400% of the poverty level and businesses with over 50
full-time employees making over $250,000.
ObamaCare Myth: Obamacare Means Higher Premiums
One of the most wide spread ObamaCare myths is that ObamaCare
increases insurance premiums. While many Americans have seen their
health insurance premiums rise since the passing of the new health care
law, blaming "ObamaCare" is an over simplification of the truth.
ObamaCare stops insurance companies from raising premiums or
denying coverage based on health status. In other words insurance
companies must now cover everyone and can't charge a sick person more
than a healthy person. This has led some insurers to inflate everyones
insurance premium costs.
Luckily, ObamaCare does a lot to mitigate this affect by creating
a number of consumer protections and cost-cutting measures that help to
decrease the growing rate of health insurance costs.
One of the ways ObamaCare helps to lower insurance premium costs is
through the creation of a Health Insurance Exchange Pool known as the
Health Insurance Marketplace. Starting October 1st, 2013 low-to-middle
income Americans can shop for subsidized, regulated health insurance
from competing health care providers using their State's online
marketplace. Cost assistance offered through the marketplace greatly
reduces premium costs of those making less than 400% of the Federal
poverty level. (400% of the Federal Poverty level equates to individuals
making less than $46,021 or a family of four making less than $93,700 a
year). Learn more about the
Health Insurance Marketplace.
A recent CBO report shows that ObamaCare is projected to lower
most Americans insurance premiums by 5 - 7%. That being said some
Americans, especially families above the 400% FPL mark may pay more for
insurance due to the ever increasing growth in premium costs and the new
excise tax on high-end insurance plans. Regardless of this, the average
cost of health insurance is going down, while the rate at which costs
are rising are being curbed by the law.
Despite the best intentions and consumer protections offered by
the new health care law (such as insurance companies being required to
justify rate hikes of a certain amount to the State for approval), it
has not prevented insurance companies are raising rates to compensate
for costly aspects of the program such preexisting conditions reform.
ObamaCare Myth: Obamacare Means Higher Taxes
Most Americans will save thousands of dollars a year on medical
costs and taxes. In fact ObamaCare includes the biggest middle class
tax cut to health insurance in our nation's history by lowering premiums
for the average family (primarily low and middle class Americans as
mentioned above). While there are a few taxes that may impact Americans
above 133% of the poverty level indirectly, the only one that impacts
them directly is the "individual mandate". The mandate says: If you
don’t obtain coverage or an exemption by January 1st, 2014 you must pay a
per-month fee on your federal income tax return for every month you are
without health insurance. In 2014 the fee is $95 per adult ($47.50 per
child) or 1% of income, whichever is higher. The family max is $285.
An important ancillary effect of the new health care taxes is
the mandate that employers with over 50 full-time employees offer health
insurance to their employees. This caused some employers to cut
workers hours down to part-time to avoid providing coverage.
Unfortunately the employer mandate has been suspended until 2015
resulting in needless cuts to worker hours.
The only people who are affected by most of the other taxes you hear
about are about are the 3% of businesses and 2% of Americas richest
families with incomes of over $250k and capital gains over $250k. - See
ObamaCare Taxes for More info and Myth debunking on taxes.
ObamaCare doesn't raise your premium and doesn't mean
higher taxes for the most part, but it does limit some tax breaks and
tax deductions like HSA caps.
ObamaCare Myth: ObamaCare Means Lower Wage and Fewer Jobs
The biggest job creators are small businesses with under 10
employees, next is under 20, next is under 30 employees (it goes on from
there). These businesses can receive tax credits through the
marketplace to help ease the burden of providing health insurance to
their employees. Small businesses have historically had the hardest time
providing quality coverage to themselves or their employees.
Come 2015 only businesses with over 50 full-time employees who
don't already provide health benefits to their full-timers will be
affected by the "employer mandate". These businesses account for .2% of
all firms in America. While employees of some of those companies may
have their hours cut to part time in order for employers to avoid paying
a penalty, ObamaCare actually creates millions of jobs, including tens
of thousands of new health care jobs, 16,000 new IRS jobs as well as
many more private-sector jobs (especially in small businesses with under
25 employees) and other government jobs.
Most of the top 3% of small businesses polled said
that the idea that ObamaCare would affect their job growth or hiring
process was an "ObamaCare myth".
Although ObamaCare doesn't directly result in job loss,
companies are cutting back hours of full-time workers to below 27 hours
in order to avoid providing them with healthcare has been one of the
nastier side effects of the bill. Ironically the requirement to provide
insurance has been pushed back to 2015.
ObamaCare Myth: Death Panels
The concept of death panels, panels that provision health care
and decide if you will live or die, is an ObamaCare myth. There is,
however, financial advisory panels that study treatments to keep health
care costs down. There was a provision in the health care bill that had
to be removed due to this rumor. The provision would have paid doctors
for providing voluntary counseling to Medicare patients about wills and
end-of-life care options. Removing the provision did, ironically, hurt
seniors. That fact is, your health care is in the hands of you and your
doctor. ObamaCare regulates insurance not health care.
ObamaCare Myth: Obamacare Comfort Care
There has been an ObamaCare myth going around since 2011 when a
"brain surgeon" called up the Mark Levin show to let him know that
patients over 70 years old could be given "comfort care" instead of
brain surgery depending on the decision of a panel. This
"neurosurgeon's" claim has since been debunked by both the AANS
(American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the CNS (Congress of
Neurological Surgeons). We have also checked out the ObamaCare bill
itself and can confirm this is an ObamaCare myth. The AANS stated that
the man was most likely not a neurosurgeon and was rather pretending to
be. The bottom line is that ObamaCare doesn't ration health care, it
helps protect consumers against the health care rationing insurance
companies have been doing for years.
ObamaCare Myth: Standard of Living Will Decrease
Since your taxes probably won't be affected, your health care
costs will go down and your health care will improve the chances of it
affecting your standard of living negatively is unlikely. ObamaCare
ultimately decreases the deficit by over $200 billion dollars helping
our collective standard of living as well.
Obamacare cuts premiums for for millions of
American Families and Small Businesses resulting in the biggest tax cut
for the middle class in history!
ObamaCare Myth: Cheapest ObamaCare Plan Will Be $20,000
per Family / The Obamacare Myths "Average Family Will Pay $20,000 for
Insurance"
This ObamaCare myth is a misleading quote from an IRS report
that takes a number of case studies on what Americans will pay for a
basic plan on the exchanges in 2016. Some plans come in as under 8% of
income which is considered "affordable" and some come in over. The media
has been reporting on one case study of a family of 5 who makes over
$120,000 and misreport it as an "average family". The truly average
family is projected to save on their overall premiums. Remember the IRS
estimates may be high considering they are the last people in the world
who want you to forgo your health insurance and have to pay the penalty
tax, as they are in charge of handling this aspect of ObamaCare.
The ObamaCare myths surrounding premiums are part a fault of
speculation (after all we can only project future costs, not know them
for sure and of course every family is different and will pay rates
specific to their financial status, location, age, as well as other
factors. (Gender and health status are no longer factors in health
insurance costs). For instance a recent IRS report released in 2013 gave
the average cost of premiums Americans would pay in 2016. It shows
that while many individuals will have access to affordable insurance,
many families will not.
Most individuals and families will pay less or at least under 8%
of their income (the amount considered affordable). However, the report
shows families with older heads of the household, located in States
with high regional cost, making around and over the 400% FPL mark seem
to have the least "affordable" insurance.
Families with higher incomes who have older members of the
household, and smoke may pay more. Other groups who are estimated to pay
more for insurance are those who wish to purchase "Cadillac" plans
(there is a 40% excise tax on high cost plans).
The ObamaCare myth is that the "average" family will pay
$20,000, however this number is the average cost of what a family of 5
making $120,000 will pay in 2016. Actual costs range from around $7,000
to over $30,000 depending on regional cost factors, age and smoking
status. In other words costs range so drastic that an "average" cost is
almost useless information, not to mention an average
American family
makes well under $120,000.
PLEASE NOTE: No one can give you an exact cost estimate of what
health insurance premiums will cost for 2014. Until the health
insurance providers start competing in the exchanges, until then
anything else you hear is a myth.
TRUTH on the IRS ObamaCare Myth: IRS Estimates the
Average Family (of 5, making over $120k) is Estimated Pay an average of
$20k in 2016 for basic Insurance on the insurance exchanges.
ObamaCare Myth: Medicare / Medicaid is Under Attack
ObamaCare reforms Medicare and expands access of Medicaid to
millions. There are a number of reformations to Medicare such as
closing the "donut hole" for prescription meds, providing better health
services and reforming Medicare Advantage (a private Medicare option
that lets Medicare be traded on the market, despite taxpayer funding.
It currently costs tax payers more than Medicare and Medicaid combined).
Large portions of ObamaCare address improving and expanding
Medicare for seniors and cutting waste. Medicaid is not reformed, but is
expanded to 15 million low-income Americans. Supporting Obamacare
means supporting Medicare / Medicaid.
ObamaCare Myth: ObamaCare implants a "CHIP" in you when you get health care... The Mark of the Beast.
We have received multiple letters from concerned readers who
believe that they will have a mandatory RFID chip planted in them do to
ObamaCare. While RFID chips are a real thing and ObamaCare does pave the
way to integrate RIFD chips as a way to provide better medical
treatment, there is no mandate. The disinformation is causing a panic
and taking away the true debate about RFID chips and the implications of
their use.
The following is an example of the ObamaCare implant myth (and is left grammatically intact the way we found it):
"I don't think it is right for president to decide to put chips
in the citizens of American hands or anybody else we as Americans have
the right to decided if we want the chip its the mark of the BEAST
People wake up its in the bible"
The idea that ObamaCare will force Americans to be implanted with
RFID chips is a myth. We read the bill and did a search for (this part
of the chain email):
The Obama Health care bill under Class II (Paragraph 1, Section
B) specifically includes ‘‘(ii) a class II device that is implantable."
Then on page 1004 it describes what the term "data" means in paragraph
1, section B:
14 ‘‘(B) In this paragraph, the term ‘data’ refers to in
15 formation respecting a device described in paragraph (1),
16 including claims data, patient survey data, standardized
17 analytic files that allow for the pooling and analysis of
18 data from disparate data environments, electronic health
19 records, and any other data deemed appropriate by the
20 Secretary"
The Facts on the ObamaCare Chip Myth
The quoted part of the law is about better data collecting for
medical records, to reform the way which data is collected to better
treat patients. The devices described in paragraph (1) are referring to
class II devices which include both life support devices as well as RFID
chips. There is no mandate about the insertion of any type of class II
device.
The only time "CHIP" in mentioned in the 2,000 plus page bill is
as an acronym for "Children's Health Insurance Plan". CHIP provides
funds to states in order to cover children in families that do not
qualify for Medicaid, but still have modest incomes. CHIP provides
insurance to more than 5 million kids. It's part of ObamaCare helping
to ensure that all Children have health coverage.
The debate about centralized data collection, RFID chips and how
it relates to the affordable care act will become more important as we
move into the next decade. Learn more about RFID chips and the
ObamaCare Micro Chip Implant Rumor.
ObamaCare Myth: ObamaCare Forces Abortions and Contraceptives
ObamaCare gives religious institutions an opt-out for providing
specific women's health services (it has also granted waivers to some
businesses). Also, contraception coverage is not required by health care
companies or exchange commissioners. Although federal funding does go
towards women's services and education, it doesn't force anyone to do
anything in regards to these services.
ObamaCare Myth: ObamaCare Rations Health Care
This is an ObamaCare myth. The new health care law doesn't ration health care, but insurance companies do.
ObamaCare actually funds research, establishes committees and
enacts a number of provisions that protect consumers from the health
care rationing insurance companies have been doing for ages.
ObamaCare Myth: ObamaCare is Socialist
ObamaCare is a program that everyone pays into (taxes) in order
to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable quality
healthcare (protections and services). Medicare / Medicaid / Social
Security are all programs that work like this.
ObamaCare allows us all to purchase our own private insurance in
a regulated market place. This embraces the ideas of capitalism,
regulated free market and freedom of choice, along with the government's
protection of your new health care related rights. It's not a widely
known fact, but hospitals are almost exempt from the economy and free
market due to their ability to set and control prices. Also many medical
device manufactures and drug innovators have such a tight control on
necessary drugs and treatments that they, in a way, control their own
prices as well.
Simply calling ObamaCare a redistribution of the wealth or
socialism is a very broad and inaccurate generalization of the law.
Plus, there is a high chance that wealth is being "redistributed" to
your family and / or small business providing better coverage, bigger
tax breaks and putting money back in your pocket while improving the
quality of your health care.
ObamaCare Myth: We Need Less Government
Your preference as to whether or not you appreciate the need for
the Government that our founding fathers saw a need for is irrelevant
when discussing ObamaCare. This is an issue of "do we need healthcare
reform?" not "do we need more government?".
At this point in history, less government would mean undoing hundreds
of years of progress and handing our country over to corporations.
Regulations, laws and taxes are all very important to our every day
lives. There is always room for reform and that is exactly what
ObamaCare does.
ObamaCare Myth: Privacy / Freedom Will Be Jeopardized
The idea that ObamaCare takes away your freedom is a myth. It
doesn't make you do much of anything in regards to health care. The only
example of freedom being restricted is the mandate to purchase
insurance or pay a tax.
Despite these facts, at the end of the day, ObamaCare costing you
your freedom is a Myth. You will most likely save money and have access
to better regulated Affordable Healthcare. We will all have better
preventive services and the security in knowing we won't be dropped when
we are sick or denied for a preexisting condition.
ObamaCare Fact: 1 in 2 Americans technically has a pre-existing condition.
ObamaCare Myth: ObamaCare is Unconstitutional
Not only is ObamaCare constitutional, it has been a law since
2010. The supreme court upheld the law, reaffirming that that ObamaCare
isn't unconstitutional.
ObamaCare Myth: ObamaCare "Culling" Seniors:
ObamaCare does nothing but help seniors, it is certainly not
"culling" seniors. In fact much of the new health care law focuses on
improving care for Seniors via Medicare reforms.
Didn't find the ObamaCare Myth you are looking for? Check out this official doc from the
American Nurses Association on Health Care Reform Myths
More ObamaCare Myths
Are We Missing Any Myths? Let us know and we will add them to the
list. Here are some of the Obamacare myths that we haven't covered in
detail.
ObamaCare Myth: Shutting Down Government Over Obamacare Funding Will Stop Health Care Law.
ObamaCare Myth: People Will Be Able To Commit Subsidy Fraud On The Exchanges.
ObamaCare Myth: Obamacare "Narrow Networks" Will Constrain Health Choices.
ObamaCare Myth: Obamacare Is Bad For Women.
ObamaCare Myth: Obamacare Covers Abortions.
ObamaCare Myth: With Full Access To Medical Records, The IRS Will Discriminate Against Conservatives.
ObamaCare Myth: Navigators Will Abuse Private Information.
ObamaCare Myth: Obamacare Mandates Doctors To Ask Patients About Sexual History.
ObamaCare Myth: Obamacare's Medicaid Expansion Will Force Doctors To Turn Away Patients.
ObamaCare Myth: Obamacare Is To Blame For A Projected 30 Million People Who Will Remain Uninsured.
Finding Out More About ObamaCare Myths
These are just some of the ObamaCare myths. Is ObamaCare
perfect? Probably not, but if you don't like it you need to base your
opinion on facts and not the ObamaCare Myths we just debunked. None of
them are even remotely true. If you don't believe this article, that's
OK.
You can check out our Affordable Care Act Summary or Even the Full
Affordable Care Act Bill and do all the research you want. Don't believe
the ObamaCare Myths, The Obama Care Facts speak for themselves.
Find out more facts about Obamacare here and here.
By REED ABELSON and KATIE THOMAS | The New York Times – 5 hours ago
