The health care law has been a national flashpoint for the past four years, especially in recent days when the government shut down in part because of opposition to the law. But even with all that attention, polls show that most Americans don’t understand what’s in it.
Now that the marketplaces created by the law are open and people can enroll for benefits that start Jan. 1, they are discovering what type of coverage they can get. But there are also many quirks about eligibility that may surprise consumers.
Some of the points were in the original law or decided by the Obama administration in regulations. Some were the consequences of decisions by states with Republican officials to not expand their Medicaid programs for low-income people, as the law encourages.
“What people are going to really start noticing is what this program means for them personally,” said Mark McClellan, who oversaw the creation of the Medicare prescription drug program after it was passed by Congress in 2003.
Below are some of the roadblocks people may encounter as they try to sign up for coverage.
Leeway for Legal Immigrants, But Not for Citizens
Older People Can Get More Subsidies Than Young Adults
Already Covered? Subsidies Depend on the Kind of Coverage
Already Covered? Subsidies Depend on the Kind of Coverage
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