Though the White House and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have attempted to make the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act easier to understand and abide by through initiating delays in certain provisions of the law – such as the employee benefit mandate – these postponements seem to have caused greater confusion about what tenets of the law remain in place.
The steady stream of changes that have been implemented both several months ago and in recent weeks has resulted in uncertainty among consumers, according to The Washington Post. For example, the White House announced that people can retain grandfathered plans – or those that were obtained before the ACA was enacted – until 2016 even if they don't conform with the essential health benefits provision. In other words, they won't have to pay a penalty on March 31 for not having an ACA-approved coverage plan.
At the same time, though, those who don't have any type of coverage may still be docked a $95 penalty on March 31, which is when the open enrollment period ends.
Opponents of the health reform law say it's little wonder people are confused, as only portions of the law are being applied in practice.
"The administration has acted dozens of times over the last year to unilaterally delay or change the law because it was not ready for prime time," said Fred Upton, chairman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Complicating matters further is a mandate exemption that could allow those who are uninsured to skirt the penalty, so long as they qualify for a financial hardship, which The Wall Street Journal reported may be as simple as believing ACA plan prices are unaffordable.
Meanwhile, more adjustments to the health law may be in the offing, Robert Laszewski, an insurance industry consultant, told The Washington Post.
"[These] changes are occurring because people aren't buying it – literally and figuratively," said Laszewski.
