4. There may be financial help based on having income less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level. For a single individual a subsidy may be available with income as much as $45,960 per year. For a family of four, the qualifying income for government tax credits or a subsidy will be income as high as $94,200. Subsidies or tax credits will be based on a sliding scale. They won’t change premium costs, but will help in the payment of those costs. Check out the subsidy calculator at Kaiser Foundation’s website, kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator.

5. Expect to see the cost of your health insurance premiums soar because of the new taxes, fees and the required coverage imposed under Obamacare. The amount will depend on a number of factors: where you live, present coverage, your current health and your age. Some of the largest cost hikes will impact the younger, healthier people to offset the higher costs required to provide for older people. For those lucky enough to work for larger companies that offer high quality coverage plans, you probably won’t see much cost change the first year. But under Obamacare, new taxes for such premium plans are coming, and the choice as to whether the company will pay those increased costs or pass them along to you remains to be seen.

So there you have it. If you think these five points seem complex or confusing, imagine what the remaining 2,700 pages of Obamacare and the 20,000 pages of new regulations that accompany it will mean to the implementation of what may soon become known as the “Unaffordable” Care Act.

Ron Kauffman is a consultant and expert on issues of geriatrics and aging. He’s in private practice in Henderson and Polk counties. He is the author of Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease, available on Amazon.com and at the Polk County Senior Center. His podcasts can be heard weekly at www.seniorlifestyles.net. Contact him at 828-696-9799 or by email at drron561@gmail.com.