AARP Offering Information on Affordable Care Act

“You answer simple questions, like what state do you live in, your gender, your age, your income.  But, we’re only asking in big brackets, so you’re not actually giving out any really specific information.  You answer about seven questions,” says Nicole Duritz, the AARP’s vice president of health education and outreach.

An audio version of this story.

Duritz says she’s not signing up for coverage under the new law, because her insurance is provided by her employer.

However, she believes the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, will benefit millions of Americans.

“We have protections, an insurance company can’t drop us just because we get sick and we also know that if I decide to open my own business, I would be able to shop and get my own insurance.  I wouldn’t have to worry about pre-existing conditions,” says Duritz.

However, the federal health law, promoted by the White House, has plenty of critics.

“It’s not the government’s responsibility to be the nanny.  They’re telling us that everybody has to have health care.  There are people who don’t want health care.  There shouldn’t be a mandate from the government.  This is why we got out of England,” says Jack Staver, the chair of the Northwest Georgia 9-12 Project.

Staver says he left the AARP partly because of the advocacy group’s support of the Affordable Care Act.

Currently in Congress top Republicans are pushing for the repeal of the Act in exchange for raising the federal debt ceiling.  

That deal continues to be a non-starter for President Obama.