By Dr Alex Boafo – The Kwakwaduam Association in of New York has held a seminar on the implications of the Obamacare for the benefit and understanding of its members. The program was led by Drs, Kwame Aniapam Boafo, Samuel Abrokwah and Baah Asante. Significant portions of the Obamacare were discussed.
It was pointed out that “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare, is a Federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The ACA aims to increase the quality and affordability of health insurance, lower the uninsured rate by expanding public and private insurance coverage, and reduce the costs of healthcare for individuals and the government.
They indicated that starting Oct. 1, Americans would be able to shop for coverage through national and state-administered insurance exchanges. Sign-up runs through March 31st, 2014, and coverage will begin Jan. 1, 2014.
Members who were eligible were asked to make sure they had signed up for Obamacare to avoid penalties that could run as high as almost $700 per annum. It was noted that members on Medicaid, Medicare and had insurances at work would not be impacted very much by the law.
The different levels of insurance: bronze, silver, gold and platinum and how they impacted premiums and out of pocket expenses were explained.
Members were warned to be aware of scammers because signing up involved giving out personal information including tax returns, state issued ID and social security numbers
Members were asked to sign up by visiting HEALTHCARE.GOV
