The Affordable Care Act – Obamacare

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a federal statute signed into law by President Obama, which made it mandatory for every citizen to have health insurance or be penalized. The Act subsidies for low-income families, by taxing healthcare providers and high-income families, as it was designed to lower health care costs while providing better health care for Americans.

The Affordable Care Act allowed parents to ad their children up to the age of 26 to their policies, in a bid to have younger healthy people paying premiums. It also allowed poorer people to get treatment for chronic illnesses instead of using the emergency room.

Learn about the Affordable Care Act and find out how to apply through the Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov.

• What Is the Affordable Care Act?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides individuals and families greater access to affordable health insurance options including medical, dental, vision, and other types of health insurance that may not otherwise be available. Under the ACA:

• You may be able to purchase health care coverage through a state or federal marketplace that offers a choice of plans.
• Insurers can’t refuse coverage based on gender or a pre-existing condition.
• There are no lifetime or annual limits on coverage.
• Young adults can stay on their family’s insurance plan until age 26.
• Seniors who hit the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan coverage gap or “donut hole” can get a discount on medications.
• Read the full text of the ACA and learn more about its provisions and relationship to patients, insurers, businesses, and families.

When to enroll

• enrolment time typically happens at the end of the year. It’s when you can freely make changes to your health care coverage purchased through the ACA’s Health Insurance Marketplace.

During the open enrollment period, you will be able to:

• Choose a plan for the first time
• Choose a new plan to replace your current plan
• Make changes to your existing insurance plan

Typically, changes can only be made year round when:

• Getting married or divorced
• Having a baby or adding a dependent to your family
• Losing other coverage
• Moving to a new state
• Qualifying for Medicaid or CHIP

Check to see if your life event qualifies you to change your coverage under a Special Enrollment Period.

• How to Enroll and Get Answers to Your Questions

You can learn more about and apply for ACA health care coverage in several ways.