Are you having trouble understanding what the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is all about? Are you unsure whether your health insurance company is doing it right? Do you wonder what has been implemented, what is subject to change, and what is still on the way? You are not alone! So do a lot of people!
My purpose in this booklet is to give you both a broad overview and a somewhat more detailed discussion of the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. While it’s almost impossible to talk about Obamacare without taking a partisan stance, I do intend to do just that. Yes, I have my opinions, but I really want to just stick to the facts, without bias, so you can decide for yourself whether and how much this law will affect your life, and how you plan to respond to the inevitable changes and challenges yet to come. I also hope to show how this sweeping legislation will affect the different segments of society. It’s a given, from what I’ve read so far, that they won’t all be affected in the same way. This, of course, is the basis for much of the controversy surrounding this new law.
And oh, is there controversy! In the process of researching this law, I have come across websites and resources that - had I not seen them with my own eyes, I would not have believed. The level of ire, of ugliness, of out-and-out hate from one segment of society to another, is very disheartening. I don’t consider myself to be a naive person, but even I never realized the levels that can be sunk to when this much is at stake. Is it the money? The political capital? The “I win/you lose” bullying? I don’t know, but I can truly say that I would have preferred to see people of integrity who have sincere and honorable differences of opinion disagree, rather than see the accusations, hatred and vitriol I have observed. Nevertheless, my intent is to strip out as much of the bile and snarkiness as I can and present this information to you as neutrally as possible.
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