Everything You Need to Understand Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment

We know that it can be confusing to navigate the new health care landscape in this country, especially for those living with HIV/AIDS. That’s why our friends at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force put together a helpful list of frequently asked questions.

We want to state up front that if you currently have insurance or are on Medicare or Medicaid, most of the below won’t apply to you and your coverage will continue, with only small changes like free preventive care. For more info on the overall benefits of the Affordable Care Act, see the Task Force's webinar.



If you currently don’t have health insurance, or you aren’t satisfied with your current insurance Obamacare will help you find affordable options.



1. There’s a lot of talk about Open Enrollment, do I need to have insurance by October 1?
•No, open enrollment runs from October 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014. Coverage begins on January 1, 2014. The one deadline between October and March is that if you want your coverage to begin on January 1, you must enroll by December 15, 2013.

2. How do I enroll? What are these exchanges I’m hearing about?
•Exchange is really just a fancy word for a market. The Exchanges are basically online sites where you can shop for health insurance. No Internet access? No problem. You can get to the information in three ways: (1) Talk to a local Navigator, who will help you find the right plan. (2) Call the folks at healthcare.gov at 800-318-2596, who can help guide you to a local resource. (3) Go online to Healthcare.gov and enroll.

http://www.hivplusmag.com/just-diagnosed/2013/10/04/everything-you-need-understand-affordable-care-act-open-enrollment

Some good information, thought I would post it here if anyone needs some help.