News Staff posted on March 22, 2013 15:17
President Obama's healthcare law will face another round of attacks in 2014 as its thorniest parts go into effect. Neither political party knows for sure how smoothly the law will be implemented or if Americans will ultimately support it. But it is clear that seismic change is coming in healthcare.
Businesses are starting to scramble to meet the law's requirement that they offer health insurance by the start of next year, which is also when new taxes and regulations will kick in that critics say will result in "rate shock" for young consumers. State and federal officials may not have insurance enrollment programs fully operational in time and insurers are already warning that premiums are set to spike.
No more than 45 percent of the public has viewed the healthcare plan favorably in the last two and a half years, according to a monthly tracking poll by the Kaiser Family Health Foundation, and only 37 percent approved of it this month. Even debunked myths about the law, such as the inclusion of so-called "death panels," persist: just 39 percent of the public correctly believes Obamacare includes no such provision.
Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) is asking the IRS to explain how it will implement the health reform law, Accounting Today reports. He specifically wants to know how much taxpayer money will be allocated to help address the regulations in the law.
The IRS has said in the past it would need to dedicate nearly 1,300 full-time employees to the effort by Sept. 30, 2012, and another 895 by the end of fiscal 2013. Earlier reports, however, show the IRS numbers may have been underestimated. The new law puts the IRS in charge of overseeing tax credits, tax increases, and compliance with provisions such as the individual mandate.