Individual Health Insurance
Affordable Care Act 101 and how it benefits you!
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed by Congress in 2010, and beginning in 2014, drives every factor in choosing your own health insurance plan. This page summarizes the many benefits and rules.
Essential Health Benefits
The Affordable Care Act mandates that all ACA-compliant health insurance plans must cover 10 “Essential Health Benefits.” Those essential health benefits are:
Ambulatory Service
Medical Services performed without admission to the hospital
Emergency Services
Medical services requiring immediate action, performed in ER.
Hospitalization
Medical Services performed without admission to the hospital
Maternity and Newborn care
Medical services requiring immediate action, performed in ER.
The Top 3 Avenues of Buying Your Own Health Insurance If You Do Not Qualify For Tax Credits:
Health Insurance With or Without a Tax Credit
You can purchase the same health insurance plans that are Affordable Care Act compliant, without a tax credit. We can enroll in the plans directly through the insurance company, not healthcare.gov or Covered California.
Short-Term Health Insurance For The Entire Year
Short-term health insurance, designed to cover someone for a few months, between job-based coverage, can also cover you the entire year, at a much lower premium cost than ACA health insurance plans.
If You Have a Business, a Group Health Insurance Plan
If you own a business we can also explore group health insurance plans, for as few as 1 (if inc.) employee. Premium costs are similar to individual plans, and you can deduct the premium cost as a business expense.
You can enroll in your own health insurance plan throughout the year.
ACA Health Insurance SEP
You can enroll in an ACA health insurance plan throughout the year if you have a Special Enrollment Period.
SEPs include losing job-based health insurance, turning 26 and losing job-based coverage, moving to a new county or state, getting married, getting separated or divorced, having had a baby, or losing Medicaid eligibility, etc.
ACA Health Insurance AEP
If you do not have a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) then to choose an ACA pla without a tax credit you will need to wait until the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) to enroll, starting this coming November.
We can set up a short-term health plan to cover you in the interim.
Short-Term Health
You can begin short-term health any day of the year, and coverage can begin as soon as the next day!
That said, we begin most plans at the beginning of a month, to coincide with other coverage ending.
Group Health Insurance
You can start a group health insurance plan at any first of the month, in any of the 12 months in a year.
Free Personalized Quote and Info
Complete the form below and we will send you an email with recommended quotes of insurance (including detailed ideas of premium costs and benefits). You can review the information, then follow up with your questions via email, phone call, text, or Zoom.