Still a little hazy about the health- care overhaul? You have plenty of company. <\/p>\n
About half the people surveyed earlier this spring by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation thought they didnt have enough information to understand how the law will affect their family. <\/p>\n
Among those with an annual household income of less than $30,000, about 30 percent thought the law had been repealed by Congress or the Supreme Court. Thats the low-income demographic the law is designed to help the most as it extends insurance coverage to millions of uninsured people. <\/p>\n
Five key points everyone should know about the overhaul, heading into the fall and 2014, when major changes start to unfold: <\/p>\n
1. The law is in effect. Congress enacted President Barack Obamas health-care law in March 2010, and the overhaul has since survived 37 attempts by Republicans in the House of Representatives to eliminate, defund or partly scale it back. <\/p>\n
The law, the Affordable Care Act, also survived a more substantial test last year when the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality. The courts ruling, however, gave states the right to decide whether to expand Medicaid, the state- and federally funded program that covers the needy and disabled people. Medicaid plays a key role in the ACAs plan to provide insurance coverage to more Americans. <\/p>\n
2. You will be required to have coverage. The overhaul mandates that, starting next year, most U.S. citizens and legal residents obtain coverage or pay a penalty. Some exemptions have been carved out for groups that include Indian tribe members, prisoners and individuals who belong to health care- sharing ministries. <\/p>\n
The annual penalty starts at $95 per adult, or 1 percent of family income whichever is greater and then rises over the next few years. <\/p>\n
3. Major milestones are looming. Next year, the ACA will take two major steps toward its goal of providing more individuals with insurance coverage. <\/p>\n
Medicaid coverage will be expanded in states that allow it, and many people will be able to buy coverage using income-based tax credits. These tax credits, or subsidies, are reserved for people who cant get health insurance through an employer and who dont qualify for Medicaid, Medicare or military-based coverage. <\/p>\n
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Read more: <\/p>\n
Health care act: 5 things to know<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Still a little hazy about the health- care overhaul? You have plenty of company. About half the people surveyed earlier this spring by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation thought they didnt have enough information to understand how the law will affect their family. Continue reading