You probably haven’t been paying much attention lately to the Affordable Care Act. You may not even realize that Obamacare still exists — about 40 percent of people in a recent national survey weren’t aware that it’s the law.
But the national health care overhaul that was enacted three years ago is alive and might even be well. And starting right now, it’s going to be a lot harder to ignore.
Sunday marks the final 100 days before Oct. 1, when uninsured people can begin applying for health insurance and premium subsidies through the law’s new state and federal marketplaces. Government agencies and insurance companies have been scrambling to get them ready.
If they work as intended, these government websites will make it possible to select a health plan and sign up for coverage in a way similar to how online travel sites let you pick a flight, a hotel and a rental car. Coverage starts Jan. 1, but people can keep enrolling through March 31.
You’ll probably start seeing commercials, finding brochures at health fairs, even getting a knock on the door from canvassers with information about applying for insurance. The goal is to reach the estimated 30 million people who qualify for enrollment through the marketplaces. Polls show the vast majority of the uninsured know little or nothing about the marketplaces, formerly referred to as exchanges.
“People are confused. There’s a lot of misinformation out there. People are going to need help,” said Ryan Barker, vice president for health policy at the Missouri Foundation for Health in St. Louis.
(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...
