The Affordable Care Act is a comprehensive reform of health insurance that aims to:

Expand health insurance coverage to Americans

Hold insurance companies accountable

Lower healthcare costs

Guarantee more choice

Enhance the quality of care for all Americans

To accomplish these goals, the ACA involves many phases, but most affect the insurance industry and employers.  Those affecting most Americans include:

• The expansion of Medicaid programs to cover individuals who did not qualify in the past
• The creation of state Marketplaces to provide coverage options for those not covered by government healthcare, and for those who don't receive insurance from their employers.  Individuals in this category will receive federal subsidies to help make their insurance affordable.  Individuals covered by a qualifying employer-based insurance can still opt into a plan offered in the Marketplace, but their plans will most likely not be subsidized by the government.
• Individual mandates - Like mandatory auto insurance for all cars on the road, health insurance is mandatory for all Americans.  Individuals not covered by a qualifying insurance program by the end of the current open enrollment period (December 15, 2017) may be charged a penalty when they file their 2017 income taxes unless they qualify for a hardship exemption.

Here are some links to information about the Act itself:

Read the full text of the Affordable Care Act

Or look at the breakdown of key features and a timeline of the Act's various phases

The Affordable Care Act affects everyone to varying degrees. This short, animated video produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation explains how (ver el video en español aquí)

In general, though, you DO NOT need to apply if you are:

• A beneficiary of government healthcare programs like Medicaid or Medicare because you are already covered by a healthcare plan.
• Already covered under your employer's insurance plan. However, you are free to apply in order to compare your employer's coverage with the plans offered in the Marketplace to see if you might prefer one of these plans. In this case, though, you are not likely to receive any federal subsidies to cover the cost of a Marketplace plan.
• Already enrolled in your state's Marketplace. Most people who enrolled during the previous open enrollment periods can simply automatically renew their policies. However, these individuals are encouraged to review their options to make sure that they're getting the best deal for their needs.

You DO need to apply if you:

• Are employed by a business that does not provide health insurance.
• Are unemployed and not already covered under government healthcare programs.
• Are not already enrolled in a qualifying plan from the previous open enrollment period.

Health Insurance Marketplace Application Checklist

Gather these materials or information

• Social Security Numbers (or document numbers for legal immigrants) for every member of your family
• Employer and income information for every member of your household who needs coverage (for example, from pay stubs or W-2 forms - Wage and Tax statements
• Policy numbers for any current health insurance plans covering members of your household.
• A completed Employer Coverage Tool for every job-based plan you or someone in your household is eligible for. (You'll need to fill out this form even for coverage you're eligible for but don't enroll in.). Download the Employer Coverage Tool from this page (see below) or from healthcare.gov (towards the bottom of the page).

If you need assistance with your application, see the tabs below. 

You can apply: 

• Online.  Start by answering a few basic questions at Get Covered Illinois
  • Depending on your answers, you will either be directed to the federal Marketplace at healthcare.gov or to the Application Benefits Eligibility (ABE) for government health insurance programs.  Learn more about ABE here. 
  • Once you are directed to the right starting point, create an account and log in to fill out the online application. 
  • For more detailed information about applying online, check out the Get Covered Illinois fact sheet (click here for the Spanish translation)
• By filling out and sending in a paper application
  • Paper applications are available to print out from this webpage (see Forms and Applications below), or you can request a copy from any Peoria Public Library information desk. 
• Apply via telephone
  • You can also apply via telephone using the toll-free hotline: 
    • For individuals and families: 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325)
    • For small businesses using the SHOP Marketplace: 1-800-706-7893 (TTY: 1-800-706-7915)
  • Telephone hotline assistance is available in English and Spanish.  La asistencia telefonica esta disponible en ingles y espanol. 

There are a number of ways to keep up with updates and developments in the ACA and Health Insurance Marketplace portals  Pick one that suits your needs from the list below: 

Blogs/News feeds

• Healthcare.gov blog
• Get Covered Illinois newsroom

Email or text/SMS alerts

• Healthcare.gov alerts
• Get Covered Illlinois alerts

Social Media

• Healthcare.gov on Facebook and Twitter
• Get Covered Illinois on Facebook and Twitter

Traditional News Sources

Traditional news sources (print and digital) are also continuously publishing new articles and information about the ACA and related issues.  You can find several of the latest articles in Peoria Public Library's newspaper databases, where you can search local, state, and national publications.  Try searching for keywords like "Affordable Care Act," "Obamacare," or "Healthcare.gov," while also limiting the results by date to make sure you find the most recent content available.  Remember, you can always Ask a Librarian if you need assistance! 

If you still have questions about the ACA, try searching or browsing the articles on Healthcare.gov or the Kaiser Family Foundation's FAQ page to find your answers, or take advantage of the Live Chat option on Healthcare.gov to pose your question directly to a Healthcare Marketplace representative. 

You can also bring your questions to local application counselors who've been trained to help area residents with the open enrollment process.  These counselors will be available in different organizations throughout the community.  See the tabs below, or call the Peoria Public Library at (309) 497-2000 for more information.