Understanding The Affordable Care Act

By Laura Fawaz, Contributing Reporter

Metro-Detroit, MI–The Affordable Care Act is now open for registration, and many Americans are wrongly ignoring it–which may end up costing them a government fine.
The Obama administration has had a tough time delivering the message on what the Affordable Care Act is, who is covered, and what it all really means.  Gwenda Bond, a spokeswoman for the administration, stated the reason that they haven’t been able to educate the America public on this new health care reform is because the administration has been so busy debating with members of congress on the law itself. 

The Muslim Observer is here to shed some light on the Affordable Care Act, as well as to offer insight into the complicated and confusing subject.  In doing so, we are dividing this into a series with different medical professionals weighing in on what this new health care coverage means to them, their patients, and their employees.

The Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, is not free health care for all Americans as most people think; rather is it a new law that requires all Americans to have some type of healthcare coverage.  In short, the new healthcare law means that next year everyone in the country will be required to have health insurance.  If you are already covered through either a private insurance, or for those on Medicare or Medicaid, you are not required to sign up for Obamacare. 

But for those who do not have any type of health coverage, you are required to sign up, or will have to pay a fine. 

The government website http://www.HealthCare.gov is official source for information about the new law.  You can even apply for the coverage there.  And if you want to estimate the cost of insurance, visit the Kaiser Health Calculator at http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator.  All you will need to enter is your income level, age, and family size.   
Stay tuned to The Muslim Observer over the next few weeks as we interview local doctors who will answer the most common questions and concerns, such as information on pre-existing conditions, how this effects those whom are self-employed, if there is prescription coverage, and much more.

15-41