CHICAGO (Sept, 24, 2013) – As the Oct. 1 start date for ObamaCare looms closer, many Illinoisans are wondering how its implementation will affect them and their families. The Illinois Policy Institute’s Director of Health Policy, Naomi Lopez-Bauman, is a leading expert on ObamaCare, and specifically how ObamaCare will affect Illinois health care systems. Naomi will be available for interviews this week (Sept. 24-27) to discuss what the political rhetoric and talking points actually mean for the working families of Illinois.
As the drama and politics unfold in Washington, D.C., people have been trying to figure out how one of the biggest expansions of a government program will affect their health insurance and their pocketbook. So much is unclear with premium prices, exchange policies, “data hub” security and how coverage will change. Naomi Lopez-Bauman breaks down the political and legislative language, and discusses what Illinois families can expect from their health insurance policies.
Naomi has the answers to many health-care related questions, including:
• How will ObamaCare affect your job and your employer? Employers across the country are cutting jobs and employee hours to avoid the massive regulatory increases that come with the “large employer” label. What actually defines a business as a “large employer” and how much will they have to pay?
• Will health insurance premiums go up? Even before ObamaCare is fully in place, premiums across the country have increased dramatically. Also, Gov. Pat Quinn excitedly announced today the “low” rates that will be available to Illinois residents on the ObamaCare exchange. But the lowest rate available for young people is actually double what rates are currently. Why is this considered low, and what will prices look like from now on?
• Why the change of heart? Many unions and trade organizations (such as the Illinois chapters of AFSCME and FOP) that supported ObamaCare in 2011 are now scrambling for exemptions. What are the problems these organizations are trying to avoid, and why have they completely changed their mind about the law?
• What is the “data hub” that will hold everyone’s personal information? How is it being guarded (or not guarded) against hackers, and who will have access to your personal health and financial information?
With so much unknown about one of the largest government programs to ever be enacted it is critical people know how this law will affect their families. Naomi Lopez-Bauman will be available via telephone interview this week (Sept. 24 – 27) to inform your audience about what they can expect in the coming days and weeks.
About the expert: Naomi Lopez-Bauman joined the Illinois Policy Institute in 2013, and before that she served as a researcher and analyst with the Pacific Research Institute and the Cato Institute. She has appeared on PBS, CNN, CNBC, Fox News and MSNBC, and is the author of more than 100 studies. Naomi has been published in Investor’s Business Daily, the Washington Times, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, San Diego Union-Tribune and the Los Angeles Daily Journal.