The Affordable Care Act’s (Obamacare) main focus is on providing more Americans with access to affordable health insurance, improving the quality of health care and health insurance, regulating the health insurance industry, and reducing health care spending in the US. Americans can no longer be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions. Preventive services are now covered at no charge. There are essential benefits that are now covered for every American. Their are also a lot of new rules and restrictions.

• During open enrollment you can use the marketplace to enroll in a new plan, change plans, verify cost assistance, enroll in Medicaid and CHIP, and to apply for cost assistance.
• Cost assistance, which can include premium subsidies and out-of-pocket subsidies depending on income, is only available through the marketplace and can only be used on marketplace plans.
• You must obtain or maintain minimum essential coverage(all marketplace plans are minimum essential coverage), or qualify for an exemption, during open enrollment to avoid owing the per month fee for not having coverage.
• In the individual and family market open enrollment is the only time you can switch plans or buy a new plan, this is true whether you use the marketplaces or shop outside of the marketplaces.
• If you miss open enrollment you won’t be able to Buy A Major Medical Health Plan that counts as minimum essential coverage unless you qualify for a special enrollment period.
• You can enroll in a plan during the year if you have a qualifying-life-event. These are things like losing existing health coverage, turning 26, moving, getting married or divorced. See the web link below for more complete information.

Missed open enrollment? Now what? Check out the information on short term plans.

Find out what qualifies as a life event.

https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage-outside-open-enrollment/special-enrollment-period/