How do I get Obamacare?

By 2016, The Affordable Care Act, or ACA, will be fully implemented. This means that many people will have health insurance available who were never eligible before, and many other people who could never afford health coverage will be provided with assistance to get the coverage they need. The idea of the new law is to cover as many Americans as possible by requiring insurance companies to accept a broader scope of applicants.

One area where Obamacare can be a tremendous assistance is where preexisting conditions have kept you from getting coverage in the past. Under the new law, health insurance providers will not be allowed to deny coverage based on preexisting conditions, including diabetes and asthma. If you have preexisting conditions, shopping for health insurance in the future will mean shopping the same resources as others. Obamacare is not a new kind of health insurance plan; it is a law that requires health insurance companies to make basic coverage available to more people.

People with low incomes will also benefit from the new law. Since having health insurance will be a requirement of the law, the government will begin subsidizing coverage for people with low incomes so that they will be able to purchase the minimum basics of health insurance. If you currently have a monthly income below the poverty level, or if purchasing health insurance would total more than 8% of your monthly salary, you may be eligible for government assistance.

Shopping for Obamacare is no different than shopping for health insurance has always been. The only noticeable difference will be that people who had little or no choices under the old system will be able to purchase coverage through traditional insurers, regardless of their health or income. Many aspects of the law have already gone into effect, and insurance companies will be required to conform to the new law by 2014, so if you are still having trouble getting group insurance, take heart in knowing that relief is just around the corner.