Just the Straight Facts.

Suppose you were asked to stand up in front of a group--Hey, you're a teacher, you're not afraid of public speaking--and give a brief explanation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We're not talking opinion, just the straight scoop on what the act tries to accomplish and how it proposes to do it. Could you do it? I didn't think so.

Most of us can come up with a few "talking points" that we've read about or seen on TV, but almost nobody could give you an opinion-free, non-partisan explanation of the law in 15 minutes. Well, that stops now. Meet the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The Kaiser Family Foundation (which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries) focuses on healthcare issues in the United States. They "serve as a non-partisan source of facts, information, and analysis for policymakers, the media, the health care community, and the public. Our product is information, always free of charge--from the most sophisticated policy research, to basic facts and numbers, to information young people can use to improve their health or elderly people can use to understand their Medicare benefits."

Their website (kaiseredu.org) contains many great, non-partisan presentations, but I'm going to point you to one. Please spend 15 minutes with the following link and you will have, probably for the first time, a full understanding of the ACA. This presentation was put together in 2010, after the law was signed, so references to the current year are to 2010. The law has not changed, so this presentation is still right on point. Here's the link:

Health Reform: An Overview

I don't care whether you love the law or hate it. You cannot have an intelligent conversation until you understand what the law is all about. You couldn't possibly have an easier homework assignment. Grab a cup of coffee, look and listen.

I know, I keep promising to help you separate the fact from the fiction, but this is where we need to start.