Affordable Care Act

1. You Must Get Insurance.

The Affordable Care Act requires almost all citizens and legal residents to have health insurance.

2. You Can Get Insurance.

You will be able to enroll in some form of insurance coverage regardless of your age, gender, or health status that may have made it hard to get coverage before.

3. You can get help to pay for your insurance.

An online calculator tool is available to help determine whether your income status qualifies you for a subsidy to buy insurance.

4. You can't be turned down for a pre-existing condition.

With current plans it may be difficult to get insurance if you are already sick. Starting in 2014 you are eligible for insurance even if you have a pre-existing health issue.

5. You can cover children on your plan up to age 26.

Before, most insurance plans covered only adult children who were full-time students, lived with their parents, were disabled, or considered a dependent for tax purposes. Starting with 2014, young adults can stay on their parents' plan until age 26.

For Illinois BCBS note that there have been significant changes to the networks. When selecting a plan use the Doctor Locator on the page to ensure that your doctor participates in the network attached to the plan selected. For  accurate participation contact the billing department for your doctor.  This year the focus for BCBS is towards HMO Plans. Know that these plans provide the biggest benefit vs. dollar.