Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve heard about the new health reform law, The Affordable Care Act, as the law now applies to all Americans. With so much political maneuvering, different political parties vying for the next presidency, and media hoopla, there is a lot of conflicting statements concerning this new Act. What is the truth? What are the myths?

Here is a straightforward breakdown of 5 myths you may have heard and the real facts concerning The Affordable Care Act.

Myth #1: The Affordable Care Act Will Raise The Cost Of Health Care

Fact: Most people are under the impression that this new reform act will cost Americans billions, if not trillions, of dollars. The truth is, The Affordable Care Act will reduce the national deficit by over $3 trillion over the next 10 years as a regular family of four will save over $2,300 on their insurance premiums.

Myth #2: The Affordable Care Act Will Hurt Small Businesses

Fact: The Affordable Care Act will instead lower health insurance premiums so that small businesses can offer health insurance to their employees. Small businesses could see a drop in insurance premiums of up to 4-percent, which saves employers $2,000 per person on health care costs.

Myth #3: Businesses Will Stop Offering Health Insurance To Employees

Fact: If businesses are saving anywhere from 3-to-4 percent on premiums per person on health insurance due to this health care reform act, then employers have no reason to take health insurance away from their employees. It is the hope of many economists that businesses that did not offer health insurance before will now find it affordable enough to offer it to their employees now.

Myth #4: Preventive Services Will Be Restricted On Many Health Care Plans

Fact: The Affordable Care Act will not restrict preventive care. Instead, many Americans have found that their preventive care coverage has improved, with seniors on Medicare obtaining several preventive care services for free.

Myth #5: The Affordable Care Act Will Have The Government Control My Choices For Healthcare

Fact: This has been the biggest fear in most Americans — that their freedom of choice will be taken away. But what this law does is give people more of a choice in their health care instead of having the insurance companies decide on who is covered. The Affordable Care Act allows more people who couldn’t afford health insurance before to obtain it now with the help of tax credits. It also increases consumer health care protections.

While there are still many myths and facts floating around, you now have a clearer picture concerning several debunked myths and the truths concerning the Affordable Care Act.

All of this information was taken directly from the White House web page.