The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare or HR3590, is a healthcare program that was signed into law in March of 2010 and was fully implemented over the next few years—finally reaching full immersion in 2015. The ACA is a complicated piece of legislature—2,409 pages, in fact. As such, understanding everything can be difficult. We’ve broken down the 10 “Titles” that make up the document. Reading these gives you a better idea of what the ACA is supposed to do for America.

 

affordable care act

  • Title I – Quality Affordable Health Care for All Americans – This title is the “central” section covering health insurance. Essentially it states that you can’t be turned down for coverage because you have an illness, it states that everyone must have coverage, and people who are at less than 133% of the poverty level will receive help paying for insurance.
  • Title II – Role of Public Programs – This section discusses how Medicaid, Medicare, and other public programs work with the new ACA system of insurance.
  • Title III – Improving Quality and Efficiency of Health Care – This section is less-discussed but is one of the most exciting parts for the average American. It discusses how healthcare is delivered and what changes need to be made.
  • Title IV – Prevention of Chronic Disease – This discusses the epidemic of certain chronic conditions and how preventative medicine can be an important tool in stopping it.
  • Title V – Health Care Workforce – This section discusses the lack of medical professionals in the nation, particularly those serving primary care needs.
  • Title VI – Transparency and Program Integrity – This is a section dedicated to reducing insurance fraud and abuse.
  • Title VII – Improving Access to Innovative Therapy – Although the segment sounds complicated, it is actually about making generic medications more accessible and affordable.
  • Title VIII – This section has not yet been implemented and likely will not in its current state. It was a plan to create a federally funded insurance program for long-term care.
  • Title IX – Revenue Provisions – This section attempts to explain how the government will pay for all of the services offered with the Affordable Care Act.
  • Title X – Strengthening Quality Health Care for All Americans – This section is in some ways an addendum to the first. It offers different programs and ideas for health insurance in the country.

Now, while the ACA has been implemented, it is still being adjusted. The details change a bit from year to year, and many people who are unhappy with the options available to them are thinking outside the box—looking at health sharing, for instance. While the ACA has requirements in place stating that individuals and families must have insurance, there are exemptions available. One such exemption is for faith based health sharing. Since these programs offer many of the same benefits of insurance (while still offering lower costs), those who are signed up with approved health sharing programs are exempt from the insurance requirements under the Affordable Care Act.

If you would like to learn more about health sharing ministries and how health sharing can be a potential alternative to standard insurance, contact us at Altrua HealthShare. We would love to show you ACA – penalty exempt faith-based health sharing memberships that may be a good choice for you. To learn more about how a health sharing program works, visit us at altruahealthshare.org/how-it-works