This is downright comical...  Wait till the IRS letters start showing up
ahead of the "free" healthcare.  The comments at the bottom are priceless.

===================================

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/04/06/91696/health-care-overhaul-spawns-mass.ht
ml

Health care overhaul spawns mass confusion for public


By Margaret Talev | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON  Two weeks after President Barack Obama signed the big health care
overhaul into law, Americans are struggling to understand how  and when  the
sweeping measure will affect them.

Questions reflecting confusion have flooded insurance companies, doctors'
offices, human resources departments and business groups.

"They're saying, 'Where do we get the free Obama care, and how do I sign up for
that?' " said Carrie McLean, a licensed agent for eHealthInsurance.com. The
California-based company sells coverage from 185 health insurance carriers in
50 states.

McLean said the call center had been inundated by uninsured consumers who were
hoping that the overhaul would translate into instant, affordable coverage.
That widespread misconception may have originated in part from distorted
rhetoric about the legislation bubbling up from the hyper-partisan debate about
it in Washington and some media outlets, such as when opponents denounced it as
socialism.

"We tell them it's not free, that there are going to be things in place that
help people who are low-income, but that ultimately most of that is not going
to be taking place until 2014," McLean said.

Adults with pre-existing conditions are frustrated to learn that insurers won't
have to cover them until 2014 (though those under 18 will be protected in late
September); then they become both hopeful and confused upon learning that a
federal high-risk pool for them will be established in the next few months.
"Health insurance is so confusing. You add this on top of it and it makes it
even more confusing," McLean said.

The Obama administration is embarking on a years-long public education campaign
about the overhaul, including a Web component. However, much of the guidance
will depend on Department of Health and Human Services regulations that are
still being developed.

Parents of young adults, including those who are preparing to graduate from
college this spring, have heard that the overhaul will let them keep their
children on their insurance plans until they reach age 26. That starts in
September, however; they have to determine how to cover them until then.

A new wave of inquiries could come next month as federal COBRA subsidies for
laid-off workers dry up.

Ann Wooten of Austin, Texas, a breast cancer survivor, said she didn't
understand whether the health insurance overhaul law meant that she should try
to access private coverage again someday. She was diagnosed with breast cancer
in 2008 after she lost her insurance in a divorce, and soon after she lost her
job at a convenience store as a result of the economic crisis.

Medicaid has covered her treatments but she must apply regularly to renew the
coverage. She went back to school to learn hotel management and is seeking a
good-paying job with benefits. She doesn't know how the health overhaul will
affect her options, and hasn't yet found the time or energy to investigate.

Americans who already have good coverage aren't so worried about the immediate
implications, but some admit that they're plenty confused.

"Why does it take so long for certain health care things to take
effect?" said
Sandra Preston, a state employee in Paterson, N.J.

Ben Wiesen, a software engineer who works for a small company in Tarrytown,
N.Y., said he'd read up on the overhaul but remained concerned about the
unknowns.

"The timelines have been pretty clearly stated," he said.
"It's the execution
and the details: How are they really going to roll out the changes, and who
ultimately will be the arbiter and decision-maker?"

Actor Sam Robards, the son of Lauren Bacall and the late Jason Robards, was
visiting Washington last week with his children and Danish-born wife. Chatting
in front of the White House gate, he said he tried to follow news coverage of
the overhaul but conceded that "I'm not totally clear" on the
details. He said
he was glad that he got good coverage through the Screen Actors Guild so he
didn't have to worry about it.

The couple previously lived in Denmark, which has universal health coverage.
They applauded the overhaul's aim of extending coverage to nearly all
Americans.

Many small business owners are nervous about requirements being phased in.

"Members are still trying to wrap their head around everything that's in this
law," said Michelle Dimarob, the manager of legislative affairs for the
National Federation of Independent Business, the small-business lobby.

Dimarob said the lobby's primary concern was that its costs would rise over the
next four years as a result of fees, taxes and coverage mandates related to the
overhaul.

"The next question that comes out of their mouths is: 'What do I have to do
right now?' They need to start talking with their accountant, depending on how
they're organized, what industry they're in and whether they're offering
insurance now and what kind they're offering. We're suggesting they talk to
their agent or broker."

Suntan businesses face a new excise tax starting in July as part of the
overhaul. Other business owners are trying to understand new Internal Revenue
Service reporting requirements related to business-to-business transactions
that will kick in as a result of the new law. Others are looking ahead to
coverage mandates for 2014 and calculating how many part-time versus full-time
employees they should have to best contain costs.

While Obama has been touting a tax credit for small businesses that offer
employees health coverage, Dimarob said many small businesses wouldn't be able
to participate. First they must do research to see whether they qualify. "It
requires them to understand the intricacies," she said.

The president has begun traveling the country to talk about the new law to
ordinary Americans. In Maine last week, he explained many highlights of the
four-year phase-in. However, Obama's remarks were laced with enough political
rhetoric to dilute his policy message.

Many organizations have produced timelines explaining when provisions are to be
phased in. Still, it's confusing for consumers, and until the administration
issues more regulations, many details can't be pinned down.

"The first meeting the president held with the team post-passage was on
implementation," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.
"Obviously this
is a big task, and a campaign to ensure that people understand what benefits
are coming online when obviously will be tremendously important."

--- PCBoard (R) v15.3/M 10