Health Care Reform Law Myths & Facts

A Kaiser Health News story, in collaboration with the Washington Post, evaluates some of the most common criticisms of the health care reform law – as heated up in the midterm election discussions.

So, for each of the following claims, the story asks, “Says Who?” and “How True Is It?”

The Claim: The law amounts to a “government takeover” of health insurance and health care.

The Claim: The law will gut Medicare by cutting more than $500 billion from the program over 10 years; seniors will lose benefits and won’t be able to keep their doctors.

The Claim: The law will cause 87 million Americans to lose their current coverage.

The Claim: The law is driving up costs and premiums and will continue to do so over the next several years.

The Claim: The law’s expansion of Medicaid will put massive pressure on state budgets at a time when many are already in crisis.

The Claim: The new law uses tax dollars to pay for abortions.