Romneycare and the Affordable Care Act

You Are Here: April 8, 2012

In this hour of You Are Here, we explore the two mirroring health care laws: Obamacare and Romneycare. In the first week of April the Supreme Court weighed the fate of the nation’s Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as the law it’s known to both parties. Meanwhile, the Bay State stands as a real-world example of how the law may play out nationally.

In this episode we bring five stories of situations that come from Romneycare, Obamacare, and more often both. First we take a look at the recent history of health care reform. The individual mandate requires all Americans to have or buy health insurance, and it’s at the core of the debate when it comes to the president’s Affordable Care Act. But the idea is actually not a new one.

We explore the failed attempts of health care reform in the past, employer’s responsibility to provide coverage, and and the individuals who chose to opt out of health insurance.

The Affordable Care Act includes sweeping change in care, but what effects will that have on the doctors and hospitals who provide that care? Reporters speak with Massachusetts doctors to find out what new challenges and benefits providers are faced with under The Commonwealth’s law and what changes may be in store for the nation. We also find out about a lesser known clause in the Affordable Care Act, an exemption specifically for certain religious groups.

LISTEN: Intro- Romney Care and the Affordable Care Act
Introduction to President Obama’s Affordable Care Act- what it means for health care providers, doctors and hospitals, employers, the uninsured, and how it mirror’s Massachusetts’ Romneycare.

LISTEN: A Healthcare Timeline
The complete history of the Massachusetts health care mandate to the President’s nationwide law. (Reporter Arjun Singh)

LISTEN: Employer Issued Healthcare
Massachusetts law requires most employers to provide health insurance to their employees or pay a penalty of $295 dollars per employee. We find out why there are still a few employees in the state that are willing to pay the fine. (Reporter Nancy Valev)

LISTEN: Individuals Opting Out
The 2006 Bay State law requires nearly everyone to have health insurance, but roughly 120,000 residents aren’t covered, and some are willing to pay a penalty for it. (Reporter Cameron Wong)

LISTEN: Impact on Doctors and Hospital
The new challenges and benefits providers are faced with under The Commonwealth’s law and what changes may be in store for the nation. (Reporter Andrea Olalia)

LISTEN: Religious Exception Clause 
A lesser known clause that exempts the religious from individual mandate.  (Reporter Jaclyn Diaz)

LISTEN: Extended Interview: John McDonough
He’s a professor of Public Health Practice at the Harvard School of Public Health, and served as a senior advisor to National Health Reform to the  Senate Committee on Public Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Reporter Arjun Singh)

Producer Alyssa Edes