Weighing in at more than 1,000 pages, there is no doubt that the Affordable Care Act is complicated -- but misstatements and distortions from both sides don't help clear up the confusion. So, FOX 9 News put a few of them to the truth test.
In the debate, there were few solid facts to cite and many myths emerged. FOX 9 News reporter Tom Lyden tackled seven of the still-lingering questions.
1. Is this a government takeover of health care?
That's a stretch. The federal government is not taking over hospitals or insurance companies, and there will still be a free market of private insurance.
2. Will it lower health care costs?
Since no one can take a look into the future, that remains to be seen. President Barack Obama claims that spending a little money on prevention up front will safe money in the long run, but the New England Journal of Medicine says that preventative care does safe live -- but cost savings are overstated.
In fact, Uncle Sam could get stuck with the tab for items private insurers currently pick up -- like breast and colon screenings or vaccines.
3. Will Medicare be cut?
Not in the sense that its funding is being deliberately reduced, but it's complicated. Medicare spending will increase -- but at a slower rate. It is estimated that $575 billion will be saved over the next decade by lowering fees to hospitals.
"Part of being able to pay for health care reform is to make changes to payments hospitals and doctors receive," explained Jean Abraham, assistant professor with the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health. "So factually, yes."
4. People will be forced out of their current plans.
That is false. No one will be forced out of their insurance plan by this law, but it is possible that consumers will be able to find something better.
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"Forced is too strong a word," Abraham said. "There will be many new choices for the uninsured."
5. Companies can drop private health insurance.
This is -- and always has been -- true.
In fact, it's estimated that about 4 million people will no longer receive health insurance through their employer; however, companies with 50 or more employees will have to pay a penalty for doing so -- which retailers and restaurants warn could be a job-killer.
"Employers will have the opportunity to evaluate economic incentive -- to have it or to drop it," Abraham said.
Conversely, ACA's provisions require employers with more than 50 workers to offer health benefits or face a fine of between $2,000 and $3,000 a year per worker starting in 2014. For companies at the 50-employee threshold, that's a minimum of $100,000 annually.
6. You could be jailed for not buying health insurance.
That's a flat out lie. The penalty for not carrying health insurance is just a tax fine. If you don't pay it, the IRS will deduct it.
7. What about "death panels"?
After the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the law, Sarah Palin once more made some noise about so-called "death panels," but there was never anything like that in the law. There is a payment advisory board that looks at Medicare spending, but it can only make broad recommendations about how to curb future spending -- and the law specifically states that the board cannot ration care.
