“Obamacare” – a brief introduction
One of the best indications for me to know that someone doesn’t really understand the Patient and Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA), shortened to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and nicknamed “Obamacare” is when they refer to it as Obamacare.
Let’s start off with Obamacare is not a Health Insurance plan. If you have Empire or MVP or the like Obamacare is not an alternative. I prefer to call it by it’s abbreviated acronym ACA or more specifically in we have “The New York State of Health”, the NYSoH, which is our state’s access to the Affordable Care Act.
In the simplest terms the ACA is the governments way of helping people afford the monthly premium for their Health Insurance by giving them an upfront tax credit, on a monthly basis, and applying it directly toward their Health Insurance premium. Really, that’s it.
Of course they have little control over the Insurance, Pharmaceutical, Provider or Facility fees. Therein lies the problem. I am not going to tell you that there haven’t been massive changes to what Health coverage is available to you, just that some of the changes are good. Hopefully, with time, the other changes can get the kinks worked out.
Are you a good candidate for the Affordable Care Act? Let’s find out!