On Your Side
What does Supreme Court ruling mean to you?
MILWAUKEE - The recent Supreme Court decision surrounding the Affordable Care Act has viewers wondering what the move means for them.
Click here to read some FAQ about what the health care law means to you.
"People don't even know what's going on," exclaimed Donna Materi of Milwaukee. Materi has diabetes and takes nine prescriptions each day.
She believes the prospect of required insurance is nearly too much to bear.
"We haven't even got the money to pay for the insurance, let alone the pills," Materi said.
Donna is not alone with concerns surrounding the decision. After seeing a huge response on Facebook, we asked employee benefits attorney John Barlament to field your questions on the matter.
Jeff Elner asks, "How much are my taxes and premiums going to go up?"
"There is some expectation the cost of health insurance premiums will rise a bit to pay for better coverage. There's no in general tax, though," Barlament explained.
You'll only be penalized if you don't have insurance. That leads to another Facebook question:
"What does this mean for the uninsured in [Wisconsin]?"
Barlament maintains available insurance will likely be subsidized by the government.
"The Federal Government will help people pay the premiums, again starting January 1, 2014," he said.
Finally, Karen Freya White writes:
"I would like a concise and hopefully, clear explanation of how this mandate affects seniors."
Barlament believes much of the elderly should be in the clear. "In general, senior citizens are likely to have Medicare coverage, and Medicare will be minimal essential coverage, so they won't face a
penalty."
The Supreme Court's decision does keep in place protections for young adults up to age 26, and people with pre-existing medical conditions. It also prevents lifetime caps on health insurance coverage.
Keep the conversation going here.
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