The Affordable Care Act Implementation Schedule

The Affordable Care Act Implementation Schedule

• Insurers can no longer drop your coverage when you become sick.
• Insurers can no longer apply lifetime benefit limits to your coverage.
• Insurers may only apply modified annual benefit limits to your coverage.
• Insurers can no longer discriminate against children up to age 19 with preexisting conditions.
• Insurers must spend at least 80% of your premium dollars on health care or quality improvement.
• Insurers must publicly justify rate increases of 10% or more.
• Young adults can remain on their parent's health plan up to their 26th birthday.
• Obamacare has begun to close the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap or 'donut hole.'
• Obamacare requires Medicare and private insurers to offer certain preventive services without cost sharing.
• Small busnesses who meet certain requirements are eligible for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credits to help pay for up to 35% of your premium expenses.
• Healthcare.gov is available to provide information about the law. A 24/7 online chat feature is available to answer any of your questions.
• A Help Center is available to answer question on the Marketplaces. You can reach the Help Center at 1-800-318-2596 or (TTY: 1-855-889-4325)
• Residents of Cook County who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level can enroll in Obamacare's Medicaid expansion now through County Care (http://countycare.com/).

• The health plans that will be available on the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace will be announced.

• Families, individuals and small businesses will be able to shop and compare plans on the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace.
• Enrollment begins for individuals and families in the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace.
• Enrollment begins for small business in the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP).

• Coverage begins for individuals and families in the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplaces and for small businesses in the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace SHOP.
• Individuals and families with incomes between 100% to 400% of the federal poverty level can receive premium tax credits to help purchase coverage. For more information click here.
• Individuals and families with income between 100% and 250% of the federal poverty level could be eligible for subsidies to help pay out-of-pocket health expenditures. For more information click here.
• Individuals and families with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level will be eligible to enroll in Obamacare's Medicaid expansion. For more information click here.
• Insurers are prohibited from discriminating based on preexisting conditions. Insurers will no longer be able to deny coverage or charge higher premiums based on a preexisting condition.
• Insurers can no longer apply annual limits on insurance coverage.
• The Small Business Health Care Tax Credits increases from covering up to 35% of a business's premium costs to up to 50% of a business's premium costs. For more information click here.

• The initial open enrollment period ends for calendar year 2014 for individuals and families. Small business enrollment will be ongoing.

• New provisions go into effect beginning to tie physician payments to the value of the care they provide, not simply the volume.