PolitiFact: Inflation Reduction Act didn't expand free health insurance for most Americans

Viral Facebook post: The Inflation Reduction Act expanded free health insurance to Americans under 65.

PolitiFact's ruling: False

Here's why: The United States spends more on health care than other industrialized countries, so a recent Facebook post touting free insurance for Americans younger than 65 might be welcome news.

"$0 health insurance is here!" the Aug. 7 Facebook post says. "Congress approves $700bn package, $0 health insurance expanded to Americans under 65."

The post encourages users to "see if you qualify now" by clicking on the post. Doing so opens a Facebook Messenger conversation between the user and the Facebook account that posted the supposedly good news. But one user wasn't convinced, and lef a review on the page that denounced the promise of free health care as just "another scam on Facebook" and claimed the account was trying to steal users' identities.

This post was flagged as part of Facebook's efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed.

On Aug. 16, President Joe Biden passed a $740 billion reconciliation bill known as the Inflation Reduction Act. It's being called the most significant health care legislation since the Affordable Care Act, but it didn't expand free insurance to a huge swath of Americans.

Although the White House said the bill "lowers health care costs for Americans nationwide," it wasn't lowered so much that about 80% of Americans will now pay nothing.

We've already reported on what the bill does accomplish, however. It establishes the right for Medicare to negotiate prices with drugmakers on some medications. It also extends expanded subsidies for the Affordable Care Act's marketplace coverage, Kaiser Family Foundation reported. That means more financial help will be available to people who are already eligible for subsidized plans and more people who previously weren't.

For Medicare patients, there's a $35 monthly cap on insulin and a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap on prescription drugs, and older Americans won't be stuck with a co-pay for vaccines against illnesses such as shingles.

We rate claims that the bill expands free health insurance for Americans younger than 65 False.

Our Sources

* Facebook post, Aug. 7, 2022

* Kaiser Family Foundation, How does health spending in the U.S. compare to other countries?, Jan. 21, 2022

* PolitiFact, The Democrats' big IRA bill fulfills some Biden promises, leaves others behind, Aug. 12, 2022

* Axios, Biden signs Democrats' $740 billion tax, climate and health care bill into law, Aug. 16, 2022

* NBC News, Inflation Reduction Act becomes law: How it will affect your health care, Aug. 16, 2022

* The White House, STATE FACT SHEETS: How the Inflation Reduction Act Lowers Health Care Costs Across America, Aug. 18, 2022

* Kaiser Family Foundation, August 11 Web Event: Understanding the Health Care Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, Aug. 11, 2022