The nation waits. Business waits. Lawmakers wait.

For  President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee  Mitt Romney the wait may seem like an eternity. The outcome of the  Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act could determine the  fortunes of both men.

As  we wait to learn the fate of the ACA, the Kaiser Health Foundation has  provided a nice Q&A on what to expect whether the President's  signature domestic legislation rises or falls when the Supreme Court  renders its decsion expected for this week.

1. I understand that the Supreme Court is reviewing the health law. Will the ruling change my current insurance?

The  Supreme Court’s decision should have minimal impact on your current  health insurance. But if the court strikes the law down, insurers might  decide to change some provisions of your coverage that were mandated by  the law, such as allowing  an adult child to stay on your policy under  age 26 and requiring insurers to provide some preventive services at no  out-of-pocket-cost to you.

2.  I don't have health insurance. Under the law, will I have to buy it and what happens if I don't?

Right  now, you are not required to have health insurance. But beginning in  2014, most people will have to have it or pay a fine. For individuals,  the penalty would start at $95 a year, or up to 1 percent of income,  whichever is greater, and rise to $695, or 2.5 percent of income, by  2016.

For families the penalty would be $2,085 or 2.5 percent of  household income, whichever is greater by 2016 and beyond. The  requirement to have coverage can be waived for several reasons,  including financial hardship or religious beliefs.

3.  I get my  health coverage at work and I'd like to keep my current plan. Will I be  able to do that? How will my plan be affected by the health law?

If  you get insurance through your job, it is likely to stay that way. But,  just as before the law was passed, your employer is not obligated to  keep the current plan and may change premiums, deductibles, co-pays and  network coverage.

4.  What are some other parts of the law that are now in place?

You  are likely to be eligible for preventive services with no out-of-pocket  costs, such as breast cancer screenings and cholesterol tests.

Health  plans can't cancel your coverage once you get sick – a practice known  as "rescission" – unless you committed fraud when you applied for  coverage.

Children with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied coverage (this will apply to adults in 2014).
Insurers will have to provide rebates to consumers if they spend less than 80 to 85 percent of premium dollars on medical care.

Some  existing plans, if they haven't changed significantly since passage of  the law, do not have to abide by certain parts of the law.

5.  I want health insurance but I can’t afford it. What will I do?

Depending  on your income, you might be eligible for Medicaid, the state-federal  program for the poor and disabled. Currently, in most states nonelderly  adults without minor children don't qualify for Medicaid. But beginning  in 2014, anyone with an income at or lower than 133 percent of the  federal poverty level, (which currently would be $14,856 for an  individual or $30,656 for a family of four) will be eligible for  Medicaid (based on current poverty guidelines).

6.  What if I make too much money for Medicaid but still can't afford to buy insurance?

You  might be eligible for government subsidies to help you pay for private  insurance sold in the state-based insurance marketplaces, called  exchanges, slated to begin operation in 2014. Exchanges will sell  insurance plans to individuals and small businesses.

7.  Will it be easier for me to get coverage even if I have health problems?

Insurers will be barred from rejecting applicants based on health status once the exchanges are operating in 2014.

8.  I own a small business. Will I have to buy health insurance for my workers?

No  employer is required to provide insurance. But starting in 2014,  businesses with 50 or more employees that don't provide health care  coverage and have at least one full-time worker who receives subsidized  coverage in the health insurance exchange will have to pay a fee of  $2,000 per full-time employee. The firm's first 30 workers would be  excluded from the fee.

However, if you have a firm with 50 or fewer people you won't face any penalties.

9.  I'm over 65. How does the legislation affect seniors?

The  law is narrowing a gap in the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan  known as the "doughnut hole." That's when seniors who have paid a  certain initial amount in prescription costs have to pay for all of  their drug costs until they spend a total of $4,700 for the year. Then  the plan coverage begins again.

That coverage gap will be closed  entirely by 2020. Seniors will still be responsible for 25 percent of  their prescription drug costs.

The law also has expanded  Medicare's coverage of preventive services, such as screenings for  colon, prostate and breast cancer, which are now free to beneficiaries.  Medicare will also pay for an annual wellness visit to the doctor.

The  health law reduced the federal government's payments to Medicare  Advantage plans, run by private insurers as an alternative to the  traditional Medicare. Medicare Advantage costs more per beneficiary than  traditional Medicare. Critics of those payment cuts say that could mean  the private plans may not offer many extra benefits, such as free  eyeglasses, hearing aids and gym memberships that they now provide.

10. Will I have to pay more for my health care because of the law?

No one knows for sure.

11. Has the law hit some bumps in the road?

Like any major piece of legislation, some aspects have not worked out as well as its authors intended.

For  example, the law created high-risk insurance pools to help people  purchase health insurance. But enrollment in the pools has been less  than expected. As of March 31, 61,619 people had signed up for the  high-risk pools, but the program, which began in June 2009, was  initially expected to enroll between 200,000 to 400,000 people. The cost  and the requirements have been difficult for some to meet.

Another  feature of the law that hasn't worked as envisioned is its long-term  care provision. The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports  program (CLASS Act) was designed for people to buy federally guaranteed  insurance that would have helped consumers eventually cover some  long-term-care costs. But last fall, federal officials effectively  suspended the program even before it was slated to begin, saying they  could not find a way to make it work financially.

http://kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/March/22/consumer-guide-health-law.aspx

From  the Cornfield, whether the Court upholds the law, throws out part of  the law or rules the whole law unconstitutional, the outcome may have a  defining effect on the presidential election.