How does the Affordable Care Act (ACA) help your family?

●     Consumer Protections: Starting immediately, your children cannot be denied insurance coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Starting in 2014, insurance plans can no longer deny you coverage nor can they make you pay more for insurance because of your health, past medical problems or gender.

●     Affordable care for your children: The ACA protects the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) which, depending on  your family’s income, you may use to purchase low-cost health insurance for your children under 18. Be sure to find out more about your State’s CHIP program.

●     Kids can stay on your current plan. Starting immediately, your children may stay on your private insurance plan until they are 26. In addition, you will no longer have to demonstrate proof of your child’s school enrollment or financial dependency.

●     More people covered: Under the new law, you may now qualify for basic health insurance! The ACA expands Medicaid, a public health plan for low-income residents, to include families under a certain income level ($29,326 for a family of four) [1] . To see if you qualify for Medicaid, please contact your local community organization.

 

If your family does not qualify for these programs, the ACA provides more options:

●     More affordable private insurance choices: Buying your own insurance can be very confusing and expensive. The ACA creates “Health Insurance Exchanges” that will create a simple marketplace for you to choose a health insurance plan that is right for you and your family. Every insurance plan on the Exchange will include basic, comprehensive medical coverage and prescription drug benefits.

●     Helping to pay for private insurance: If you are having trouble paying for health insurance, the new law will provide subsidies and tax credits to help you and your family. Starting in 2014, if you buy private health insurance on the Exchange, you and your family will get tax credits depending on your income level. For example, your family of four would receive tax credits if your annual income is between $29,326 and $88,200 [2] .

●     Limits out-of-pocket costs: The new law places limits on how much you have to spend on deductibles and co-pays for health insurance plans under the Exchange. Furthermore, insurance plans will be required to cover a core set of preventive services without cost-sharing requirements such as co-pays, co-insurance, or deductibles.