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ACA Open Enrollment For Online Healthcare Marketplace Begins

Consumers who did not buy health insurance last year through the Affordable Care Act have a second chance. The 2015 open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act online marketplace will begin on Saturday, November 15.

Eight million Americans signed up for private insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace this year, although estimates suggest about 32 million uninsured people in the country remain. The Congressional Budget Office expected 13 million people to enroll, although this expectation has been lowered to a goal of 9.1 million, Reuters reported.

The ACA is designed to improve access to affordable health insurance and the open enrollment period guarantees health coverage for pre-existing conditions. A health insurance exchange is an online marketplace that allows Americans to buy health benefits such as medical, dental or ancillary coverage for families or individuals.

The ACA created both federal and state-based exchanges. Americans who live in a state that does not operate its own exchange can visit the federal exchange at HealthCare.gov.

Health insurance websites have introduced new tools and technology to reduce confusion this year and help consumers find insurers.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”– Sylvia Burwell” author_title=”US Health and Human Services Secretary”]

Open enrollment this year will be a positive experience for the consumer.

[/quote]

The open enrollment period to buy health insurance through federal and state-run exchanges begins November 15 and runs through February 15, 2015. All Americans are eligible to sign up for coverage through the exchanges, including the healthy and young who do not have employer-sponsored benefits, the self-employed, the unemployed, and retired Americans.

Individuals who already have access to qualifying employee-sponsored plans are not eligible for subsidies. Individuals with Medicare do not need to do anything, as the ACA open enrollment period does not apply to Medicare benefits. Americans with qualifying retiree health benefits do not need to buy coverage as they are considered covered by the law, Fox Business reported.

Subsidies, or cost assistance, are available to reduce the amount consumers pay for their monthly premium through an advanced tax credit or reduce out-of-pocket costs for copays, deductibles and coinsurance. Consumers who purchase healthcare coverage through an exchange will have the subsidy factored upfront into the premium calculation.

A recent Gallup poll found that 55% of uninsured Americans plan to sign up for health coverage this year, while 35% said they will not buy insurance and instead pay the fine under the Act, Gallup reported.

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