I went searching for media mentions on the ACA that included gun control or gun confiscation language.  It was easy; in recent months, the notion has popped up on several conservative news channels and was then developed further in the blogosphere. 

So I re-read the ACA from front to back, and did find that guns are mentioned in a small section, waaaay at the back. 

In the Affordable Care Act, the gun language is in Title X, starting on page 2,037, line 23.  "Protection of Second Amendment Gun Rights" contains five provisions that appear to be focused on shutting down conversation about guns in medicine. 

The first three provisions say that wellness and prevention programs may not require the  collection of information relating to guns, that the ACA can't collect data related to owning or using firearms, and that the ACA can't use or maintain records of individual ownership or possession of firearms or ammunition. Fine, so far.

Provision four is interesting. It limits the ability of insurance companies to determine rates or eligibility for health insurance based on gun ownership. In fact, back on the opening pages of the ACA, one of the foundation points of the law is that insurance will be guaranteed issue so that no one can be turned down. The law says insurance rates are based on only four factors – age, location, number of family members and smoking status. Gun ownership is clearly not a factor.

The final provision related to gun owners says that individuals do not have to disclose they own a gun.  Ever. Period. It's the law.

So, where did the gun focus come from? I think it was about a year ago, when there was a spike in gun violence on a grand scale, followed by a push for gun control on a national basis.  Speeches were given and protests were held, but no laws were enacted.  The one move that happened in Washington came from the White House, in the form of a report encouraging mental health professionals to pay more attention to people who appear to be unstable, and to make an effort to discover if guns are readily available to people with certain unpredictable mental conditions.

I found a report outlining proposals to curb gun violence issued on Jan. 16 by the White House, where the administration clarified that doctors are permitted to ask their patients about gun safety but did not create any mandate requiring doctors to do so:

The report said, "Doctors and other health care providers also need to be able to ask about firearms in their patients' homes and safe storage of those firearms, especially if their patients show signs of certain mental illnesses or if they have a young child or mentally ill family member at home.

"Some have incorrectly claimed that language in the Affordable Care Act prohibits doctors from asking their patients about guns and gun safety. Medical groups also continue to fight against state laws attempting to ban doctors from asking these questions. The administration will issue guidance clarifying that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit or otherwise regulate communication between doctors and patients, including about firearms."

Ah-ha! I think this is where the guns and the ACA story started …

So, once again we have competing, confusing language, but we need to remember that a law (the ACA, for example) trumps any report written by any governmental body. Gathering and storing and sharing gun data is not a part of the ACA. 

My takeaway from all of this?  As we communicate the ACA into a complex and hostile world, we need to keep looking for the truth inside the layers of confusion. Of course, guns are an emotional topic, and logic has a difficult time overcoming emotion.