How Healthcare Will Change Under the Affordable Care Act

higher premium, while the plans with the lower value metal cover less but have a lower
premium. Familiar types of plans such as HMOs and PPOs will be offered through the program.
Insurance companies cannot deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions and all plans
must cover 10 essential health benefits under the law, including emergency and hospital care,
prescription coverage and more.
What is the Penalty If I Don’t Have Insurance?
For 2014 the penalty for not having insurance is $95 per adult and $47.50 per child, or 1 percent
of taxable income, whichever is greater. This will increase as time goes on, eventually maxing
out at 2.5 percent of taxable income.
Where Can I Sign Up?
If your state has set up an exchange you can sign up through the state-run website, or if you live
in a state that did not set up an exchange you’ll need to sign up through healthcare.gov.
Residents of California can sign up through Covered California, or contact an exchange certified
agency. Benefit Packages is exchange certified and our agents are specially trained on the
healthcare mandate. We can help you understand your options for affordable coverage both
inside and outside the exchange, and we work with reputable carriers like Anthem Blue Cross
and Blue Shield of California. There is no time to waste—enrollment began on October 1, 2013.
Contact us today to sign up for coverage before the January 1, 2014 deadline at 1-800-356-
3615 or visit our website.