The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is coming and soon. If you are one of the 6 million in Texas without health care insurance, we here at Texan Insurance have an update for you.
Online Insurance Marketplaces to Open October 1, 2013
The ACA, more familiarly known as Obamacare, requires that all uninsured individuals purchase health insurance by January 1, 2014, or face penalty fees assessed on their taxes. Tuesday, October 1st marks the opening day for the online health insurance marketplaces.
Each state is given the option to build an exchange (marketplace) of its own, operate in partnership with the federal government, or allow the federal government to autonomously control all operations.
The purpose of the marketplace is to allow consumers to compare coverage options based on the price, benefits and quality of services offered. It is important to note that all plans are required to provide a comprehensive set of essential health benefits. In addition, no provider will be able to deny an individual coverage, or charge more due to a pre existing condition.
Already have healthcare coverage? The online marketplace will help you determine if you are eligible for lower costs on your monthly premium for private insurance.
For those of you with healthcare coverage provided by your employer, little, if anything will change.
Got a Question?
The Department of Health and Human Services is available to help those of you with questions pertaining to health care reform. You can reach their call center at 1-800-318-2596.
As always, you are also welcome to contact one of the health insurance experts we employ here at Texan Insurance. As an independent agency, we are fully committed to helping you get the best coverage, at an affordable price.
Source – Frequently asked questions about ‘Obamacare’
