Quiz: Health Care Reform Myth or Fact?

In the past, insurance companies didn't treat men and women equally. For instance, a 22-year-old woman might pay 150% more than a man for the same coverage. The Affordable Care Act now prevents insurance companies from charging higher rates based on your gender.

In the past, some insurance companies considered pregnancy a pre-existing condition and could turn down pregnant women. The Affordable Care Act prevents companies from charging you more or denying you insurance because you have a pre-existing condition. Whatever your health history, insurance companies won't be able to keep you from enrolling.

The Affordable Care Act does not create any government-run insurance plans. Most people continue to enroll in an insurance policy through work. If you don't, you can buy a policy from the Marketplace. All the plans on your state's Marketplace are offered by private companies and not directly by the government.

The Affordable Care Act took full effect Jan. 1, 2014. That's when most of the major changes happened -- like extending coverage to millions of Americans, using tax credits to make health care more affordable, and expanding Medicaid in some states.

Before health care reform, young adults often went without health insurance. They were less likely to have a job that offered benefits. Now, a young adult can stay on their parents’ insurance policy until they turn 26, if the plan covers dependents. That is true even if they are offered coverage through their own employer, are married, and don’t live at home.

The Affordable Care Act doesn't cut benefits. Seniors on Medicare actually receive improved benefits, like better prescription drug coverage and yearly wellness exams.

The Affordable Care Act does cut Medicare spending. For example, it reduces payments to some providers and private insurers that offer coverage to people with Medicare. It also creates steps to prevent fraud and waste in government programs, among other efforts.

The tax reform bill passed by Congress in 2017 eliminated the "individual mandate," a part of the Affordable Care Act that taxed Americans who did not have health insurance. 

Costs for some have gone down under health reform. That includes people with pre-existing medical conditions, some women, and older folks.

However, some people -- especially those who don’t qualify for financial help from the government -- have seen their costs rise. Insurance companies are no longer allowed to charge sick people more and must include more benefits as well as limit out-of-pocket costs. As a result, rates for private insurance, in some cases, have risen.

The Affordable Care Act limits the tools insurers have used to keep costs down: charging sick people more or denying them insurance, charging more for pre-existing conditions and gender, or leaving out certain benefits. To hold down monthly premiums, many insurers have limited their provider networks.

Many people have had a tough time seeing their doctors or finding one close by who participates with their plan. The government said it will monitor insurers to make sure they include enough doctors.

The Affordable Care Act requires health plans to cover preventive services. Those include immunizations, mammograms, colonoscopies,  and health screenings. If you get any of these services, as well as several others, you won't have a co-pay, co-insurance, or a deductible. However, older policies -- from before that date -- may still require you to pay some portion of preventive care costs.