What exactly is "Obamacare" and when does the law go into effect?

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   scoopposted 12 years ago

   What exactly is "Obamacare" and when does the law go into effect?

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   TIMETRAVELER2posted 12 years ago

   Obamacare is another name for the Affordable Health Care Act.  Parts of it are already active, but the total law won't go into effect until 2014.  The purpose of this law is to make healthcare affordable to more people and to allow people with pre existing conditions to avoid being penalized for being sick either by losing their insurance or being charged more for it due to their health.  There are several hubs on this that explain things in more detail...take a look!

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      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      TimeTraveleer2 is correct and I have done several hubs on this. I am 62 and cannot buy real health insurance for prior conditions. I just hat two back-to-back hospital stays. I am looking at $20,000 out of pocket. Obamacare cannot come soon enough.

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   d.williamposted 12 years ago

   most people misunderstand this bill and think it has something to do with the management of health care providers or health care itself.   
   It is accurately named:  Affordable Health Insurance.  It stops insurance companies from discriminating against people for preexisting conditions, allows college students to remain covered on their parents insurance policies while they attend college, and requires people who refuse to buy health care insurance to pay their fair share, instead of those of us who actually pay for health insurance footing the bill for their refusal to pay.  In other words it curtails those who choose to just get a free ride at everyone else's expense.  There are other provisions that are only beneficial to the people.
   The insurance companies have not weighed in on this bill, or tried to get involved in its over turn by the GOP, because they are the biggest winners in the long run.  People with insurance will remain insured, and those mandated to pay will only benefit the insurance companies.  They would have been foolish to fight this bill.  And we all know that congress always finds loopholes to pacify the corporations including the insurance agencies.
   It will not go into effect until next year or the year after.

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      bn9900posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well you are correct, however, when the government requires someone to purchase a good or service from them, it is illegal, Obama got by the SC by calling it a Tax, but you are still required to spend your money on something the government is selling

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      d.williamposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      We all are mandated to pay for insurance before we can buy houses, cars, etc., or a license to practice medicine, nursing, fishing, etc..all payable to the government.  The only neg. about this bill is Obama made it happen not the GOP. Sour grapes.

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      peoplepower73posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      bn9900: Actuually, Obama never called it a tax. That's how the Supreme Court said it was constitutional. If you have insurance, then you don't have to worry about the individual mandate. It will not be effective until 2014.

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      cascolyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      first, if congress passes it and the supreme court approves it, by definition it cannot be illegal
      
      second, the law DID call the mandate a tax.  that was why Roberts was able to rule as he did - the govt's main argument was that it was a penalty

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      sarena828posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      They already make us buy car insurance or we will be fined/penalized.  Same thing.  Plus, why should everyone who DOES have insurance have to pay for those who don't?

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      spiderplexposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      the comments that compare Obamacare to home/car/etc insurance are logically flawed - if i don't own a home or a car, i don't need to buy insurance - but how do you opt out of something required just for being alive?

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      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      If you have a mortgage on your home, you have to have insurance. In Louisiana, if you own a car, you have to have insurance whether the car is paid for or financed. Businesses have to maintain worker's comp insurance on their employees.

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   WD Curry 111posted 12 years ago

   
   
   Gee, brother . . . I don't really know. It seems like I might be in trouble with the law. I can't afford health insurance. I'll just have to stay healthy by the way I live, or get help in jail.
   
   What happened to the day when a doctor came by the house so they didn't have to move you? Sorry, Doc. I won't have any money 'till the crops come in. Will you take a goat?
   
   Sure, if you butcher it for me.

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      backporchstoriesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is the same issue that tear me up on the piece of legislation.  I suppose if I am forced to buy insurance, I will need a doctor to treat me for starvation!  We are people who use the medicine God gave us from the land in a natural way.

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      cascolyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      where do you get your information?  if you cant afford insurance, the new law makes it EASIER to get it.  no one who cant afford it will be penalized.  the only people to pay the tax are those who decide not to purchase insurance.  even then NO ONE g

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      Etherealenigmaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      How is it that we aren't penalized if we have to pay an additional tax because we don't want to purchase that insurance? If they had a natural health insurance, I might be interested, but I'm not going to pay for Big Pharma orchestrated insurance.

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   conradofontanillaposted 12 years ago

   I can only surmise that it is health care reform, similar to the health care reform formulated by President Clinton. Hillary Clinton was assigned to head the committee in charge of having it passed in congress in the first term of Bill but was put in the burner by priority programs like stimulus package and budget deficit package. The health care budget proposal of Hillary was US$100 billion. Bush got US$153 billion for his health  care, which was considered peanuts.
   Anyway, I am awaiting an answer to this question as i am interested in the Health Management Organization (HMO), Medicare, and Medicaid in America as they impact on Big Pharma. Big Pharma has peripheral effect in the Philippines in the regulation of drugs and research on medicinal plants. They also impact on heart disease and cancer because Big Pharma do not want those sick of these disease to get cured since they would lose a large part of their market. They do not like preventive measures either. Natural cures or medicinal plants would play a large role in prevention of diseases. Since medicinal plants are not patentable Big Pharma denigrade them. Medicinal plants do not give Big Pharma profits.

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   Bismarck44posted 12 years ago

   What people call Obamacare is the Patients Affordable Health Care Act.
   Parts of the law are in effect now, including the right of grown children to
   retain health coverage with their parents policies until they are 26. The
   controversial section establishing a mandate for citizens to purchase
   health care coverage does not go into effect until 2014. Seniors
   will soon receive some price reductions of payments for medication.

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   BlissfulWriterposted 12 years ago

   What people refer to as "obamacare" is changes in regulations in an effort to fix and improve the health care system in the United States.
   
   Although some parts of it is already taking place, it goes into full effect in 2014.  Today the supreme court affirmed the constitutionality of the law.

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      Etherealenigmaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I heard that people who don't buy that insurance will be fined. Is this true? I heard they will take money from our tax returns.

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   peoplepower73posted 12 years ago

   Here are the main features of health care reform (Obama Care, Affordable Care Act);
   1. No discrimination for pre-existing conditions - effective 2014
   2. Patients Bill of Rights - phase in by 2014
   3. Cap on insurance company rate increases - currently in effect
   4. Free preventive care for seniors - currently in effect
   5. Donut hole closure for medicare - already started, will be complete by 2014
   6. Only those without health insurance will have to buy it. 1 % effect on the public - effective 2014 (Individual Mandate - upheld by Supreme Court)
   7. Tax credit for small businesses
   
   It's so sad that people who don't have a clue about the law are against it. It shows you how effective the propaganda has been against this law. And it is a a law, that's why the plan is over 2,000 pages, so that it can be administered as law to protect us, not as an insurance policy as the propaganda would like you to believe. Oh and by the way, there are no death panels in the law.
   
   I have a hub page that details all of this and provides links to the actual law where you can read it for yourself.
   
   I hope this helps.

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      cascolyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      sad that people can vote down a comment that just provides information!

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      conradofontanillaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Peoplepower, I wonder if it provides for the coverage of specific diseases and treatments or cures. Does it cover alternative medicine like chelation therapy? In the Philippines the public support system includes angioplasty and bypass surgery only.

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      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Under Obamacare you are going to my insurance just like you do today. However, they cannot turn you down for age or prior conditions, and the highest rate can only be 2 or 3 times the lowest rate, instead of six of more as it is now.

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   B Nathan Ponisposted 12 years ago

   And if you don't comply, you get an exorbitant fine and if you don't comply with the exorbitant fine, the IRS will seize your personal property (home), or your business.  (PERIOD!)  The federal government then owns your personal property or business.  You are a fool if you think this bill is a good thing.  It feels good because it looks good on paper.  When this goes into effect it will seriously hamper small businesses and people who can't or won't buy insurance.  I invite people to look at the pros and the cons of this AHCA.

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      cascolyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      nonsense - the fine is about $700 - most health insurance costs much more than that;   your description of losing your house is just silly.  the people who refuse to get insurance are freeloaders, and we all pay when they show up at the ER

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      GenO1231posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      @cascoly - Not every uninsured American is refusing to be insured, nor are they necessarily "freeloading". Some, of course, take advantage of a free ride, but there are so many that literally cannot afford insurance.

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      cascolyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      right - i said those who refuse, not those who can't afford it.  any insurance system relies on many if not most participants not requiring aid in any given year.  that keeps prices down. similar to requirements for compulsory auto insurance

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      Mike Marksposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      should it include a check box that states something like "I qualify to buy "Obamacare" because my income is such but I elect not to buy it thereby I understand I will not qualify for public assistance of any sort should I get sick or injured"?

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    RichardBlankposted 11 years ago

    
    
    OBAMACARE promotes outsourcing in Central America. Enacted in July 2010, The U.S. healthcare reform (“ObamaCare” or the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”) is intended to pressure large and small employers through force and taxation. The end result will show North American companies deciding to send customer support, sales, lead generation and appointment setting jobs offshore or risk going out of business. Many will decide to hire a dedicated bilingual employee who is 100% committed to their project. ESL call center employees in Costa Rica are just as or more effective than transitional in-house staff. In addition, giving the owners the freedom to scale up their offshore staff without getting caught in the Obamacare challenge in 2014.
    
    http://www.obamacareoutsourcing.com/

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    Jay Max Justerposted 11 years ago

    If you want to learn about both what Obamacare is and the major events that have shaped the medical industry before this new policy became the law of the land, check out Dr. Doug McGuff's presentation:
    http://www.the21convention.com/2012/10/ … h-liberty/
    
    As a doctor, he gives you a summary of the major health-care reforms that have taken place throughout history and how they effect both the people who need healthcare and the doctors who provide health care.

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    JustCraftyposted 11 years ago

    I agree that everyone should be able to get affordable health insurance but I disagree with the statement that says people who don't have health insurance are freeloaders.
    I work seven days a week long hours and not one of my employers will allow me to be able to have their health insurance and due to a prior near fatal accident I lost my insurance because the insurance company raised the rate for my insurance to more than I made a month so then I couldn't get insurance from anyone else do to preexisting conditions and so I pay through the nose if I have to go to the doctor or ER but most of the time I just don't go because I can't afford their rates and I get no freebie care because I work all the time.

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       Etherealenigmaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       See, this is sort of my issue as well. Who has the right to say what is affordable for me or not? You don't know what my life is, or my bills for that matter. Just because I don't have insurance currently, does not mean I'm a free loader.

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    Sean Lehmanposted 11 years ago

    Next?
    
    Obama Home, where everyone is required to have housing or pay a fine.  All people providing rentals will be required to offer affordable housing or pay a fine.
    
    Obama Work, where everyone will be required to have a job, work at least 30 hours a week, or pay a fine.  All employers must offer jobs to anyone who does not already have one, provide at least 30 hours a week, or pay a fine.

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       Etherealenigmaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       LOL...that's funny, but hey! Why not? If they are going to force us to pay for something we may not want, why not this as well?

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    nlazarposted 11 years ago

    Obamacare essentially connects the uninsured to health insurance so that the government and the taxpayers don't have to pay the heath bills of the uninsured. Healthy people, younger people, and wealthy people will pay more tha before, while unhealthy, older and poor people will pay less than before. Also tied to the bill are health care reforms like an improved appeals process for denied claims. The majority of the law goes into effect next year, although the full law will be rolled out throughout 2017.

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