The Affordable Care Act (also called health care reform and Obamacare) is a comprehensive set of health insurance reforms that began in 2010 and continues to provide healthcare coverage options for Americans.
The Health Insurance Marketplace (also called state insurance exchanges) offers a way for people without insurance to get coverage and find out if they qualify for lower costs on private insurance through subsidies and tax credits.
People who do not have qualifying health coverage may still face a penalty in some states, though the federal individual mandate penalty was reduced to $0 in 2019.
The following are key dates for the current enrollment periods:
- November 1 – Open enrollment through the Health Insurance Marketplace begins each year.
- January 15 – Open enrollment ends – last day to enroll in or change Marketplace health plans for the coverage year.
- January 1 – Coverage begins for plans selected during open enrollment. Key ACA protections include:
- Coverage for pre-existing conditions
- Essential health benefits coverage
- No yearly or lifetime limits on coverage
- Premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions for eligible individuals
- Year-round – Special enrollment periods available for qualifying life events such as marriage, birth of a child, or loss of other coverage.
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