Affordable Care Act Round-Up: Boomers May Benefit Most

With the Affordable Care Act set to go into effect on Oct. 1, there is an ongoing debate as to whether the law will keep insurance premium costs down, if employers will continue to offer insurance for their employees, and how the federal law will impact Americans.

Here are a few recent stories taking a look at the issues:

 "Obamacare Isn't Causing Employers to Cut Worker Hours: White House"

  • Nine out of 10 jobs created since the ACA became law in March 2010 have been full-time positions, according to the White House Council of Economic Advisers. And there's no evidence that employers are cutting back worker hours to less than 30 hours per week. (The Huffington Post)

"Plenty of options under health care law, studies show"

  • New government tax credits would allow for the monthly price of some health policies to drop to as little as $100.
  • Once the ACA goes into effect, those without health insurance on the job can go to new online insurance markets in their states and shop for a plan. (The Associated Press)

"Boomers may benefit most from Obamacare" 

  • An analysis done by reporters at The Wall Street Journal shows that older workers' share of their insurance premiums could fall dramatically, leaving them with less to pay than younger, healthier people with similar incomes.
  • The ACA's health insurance exchanges and subsidies are designed to help lower prices for this older crowd – those who are too young to qualify for Medicare, but find it too expensive to buy insurance in the private sector. (MarketWatch: The Wall Street Journal)
     

"Obama's Affordable Care Act Looking a Bit Unaffordable"

  • The National Journal has an analysis of new coverage and cost data that reveals premium prices will be higher in the individual exchange than what some pay for employer-sponsored benefits.
  • The premiums under the ACA may be lower than predicted, but they may not be competitive with workers are currently paying for employer-sponsored care. (The National Journal) 
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