As we get closer to 2014, consumers are being surrounded by news coverage, ads and opinions about the health law. And many of them are turning to their doctors for advice. The American Medical Association has a website to help doctors answer frequently asked questions that physicians hear from patients, such as “Why should I care about the health reform law?” (the answer notes that as of Jan. 1, most people will have to have insurance or pay a penalty) and ”Can I keep my own doctor?” (answer: “That depends on the plan you choose and whether your physician is in the plan’s network”).
The website also aims to explain the law’s online marketplaces, or exchanges, which open for enrollment Oct. 1 with coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2014.
The AMA guidance frequently links back to healthcare.gov, the official federal government website for the health care law. But it also makes clear to members that the organization doesn’t agree with everything in the Affordable Care Act, or the ACA.