WAHHHHHH…….

"Obamacare is a job killer. It will put small companies out of business."

So said the Republicans at the start….and they continue still. All those corporations ("small businesses" in the mind of the GOP, like Papa John's, Chipotle, and Hobby Lobby and Walmart…) started to cut employees' hours, mainly for spite.

Well, now here's the thing: 

"The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- otherwise known as Obamacare -- is putting such a small dent in the profits of U.S. companies that many refer to its impact as “not material” or “not significant,”…says Bloomberg Business.

http://tinyurl.com/q2hg5c8

http://tinyurl.com/oas9u6b


But don't think that will stop the GOP from trying to repeal it…..for the 700th time.
Or, God forbid, institute their idea of a health plan (adhering to Paul Ryan's belief that we must get "beyond the politics of emotion.")
http://democurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2015/02/cruel-republican-health-care.html

My state is so proud of itself: it fought off OBAMACARE

Tennessee's Governor Haslam, not a Dem by any means, stalled for months like a good conservative and did nothing for the working poor in his state. In the meantime he haggled with the administration to "expand Medicaid his way"….and it "was not Obamacare." That was his story and he was sticking to it.

"The governor told a Nashville meeting of the Tennessee Press Association on Thursday that the agreement he hammered out with federal officials over 21 months was the market-oriented approach he thought the Republican-dominated Legislature wanted."

There was a reason for that:

"... Haslam's allies circulated a polling memo to GOP state legislators this week, written by the firm of longtime national GOP pollster Whit Ayres, showing that 85 percent of Republican voters in Tennessee oppose "Obamacare," but just 16 percent oppose "Insure Tennessee."

http://tinyurl.com/pqyfq4l

Haslam was really naive….
The Koch Brothers should really be proud of themselves:

Andrew Ogles, head of Americans for Prosperity in Tennessee, via Chattanooga TFP): “We couldn’t have done this without our grassroots activists showing up to hold their legislators accountable.. Thank you for listening to your constituents and voting to stop Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion in Tennessee.”

Grass roots my butt:The sea of red crowded out representatives of the Tennessee Hospital Association, one of the big advocates of the Medicaid expansion, who were left to stand in the back or unable to get into the room at all. (Tee shirts provided by AFP and KOCH money….)

The Koch Brothers learned early on that "all politics is local" and it is to their benefit to start their influence there.

"It is a smart strategy. The national president of Americans for Prosperity explains, “We fight local issue battles…because they result in good policy outcomes, generally promoting economic freedom via less taxes, less government spending.” He might have also said that this is a good strategy for identifying and cultivating budding politicians who, after taking on local, small-town issues, could move up to state politics and eventually to national levels carrying AFP’s pro-business, free market, anti-regulation message. A Democratic state representative from Coralville got the message about the AFP strategy: “I think right now, too, that they’re doing whatever groundwork they can for the 2014 elections—so any inroads they can make anywhere,” David Jacoby said."

Said Republican Speaker Ron Ramsey:…."Tennessee has always been a well-run, fiscally-responsible state. We could not in good conscience put our stamp of approval on a mere verbal agreement with the Obama administration."  (For the record Tennessee receives 41.27per cent of it's annual budget from the government, getting $1.64 back for every dollar it gives the government in taxes…..)

Then there is the GOP Alternative to Obamacare that they hope to implement after gutting the ACA…if they can do it.
The Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility, and Empowerment (CARE) Act 
In this little gem:
 "Republicans want to make it harder for women to prevent themselves from getting pregnant, and then they want to deny women the maternity care they need when they do become pregnant while at the same time making healthcare more expensive for them."

Keep voting for these people, thank them for picking your pockets and making themselves rich, and then wonder why you are the one left holding the bag….

Loving Obama Here In Tennessee…..

I bet that got your attention.

But if you have been bombarded by all the political ads on television lately, you can SEE all those Republicans running for office have opponents here who are practically in bed with the guy. Not to mention all the LIBERAL judges that are pushing their LIBERAL agenda in the State Supreme Court.

"Judging by political advertising lately, it’s truly remarkable how much support President Barack Obama and the Affordable Care Act enjoy among Tennessee Republicans and our state’s court system." http://tinyurl.com/q948oel

Yep, those folks have been showing all the LIBERAL love here in this state the last few years: 

" …. in Tennessee, because of (Gov.) Haslam's decision, they won't be covered. Without the money, some hospitals could close, particularly in rural areas where they already are struggling financially.

"There may be hospitals that will have to close," (LT. Gov.) Ramsey says. "But look, if you want to operate in a free market, things like that happen." 

http://tinyurl.com/kyb54gh

Of course, the governor also expressed his love of children:

http://knoxblogs.com/humphreyhill/2014/07/25/haslam-obama-surprise-placement-immigrant-children-tn-unacceptable/

It is also easier for outside groups and “super PACs” to run attack ads, leaving the positive message up to the candidates, and the result is an increasingly negative sheen to the general political discourse. “There’s no question that the sheer number of ads, combined with the fact that voters don’t know who’s paying for the ad, creates a layer of toxicity in our politics that is very corrosive,” said Senator Michael Bennet, Democrat of Colorado and chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
http://tinyurl.com/nbceqxk

But that's OK. They ALL have the blessing of the Chamber of Commerce, high ratings from the NRA, are outstanding members of their various churches, and believe in the free market. They also love to push the First Amendment to the limit….and off a cliff.

Just wanted to share a short story this morning. I live in the totally Red State of Tennessee, but in a bluish-area of Knoxville. There are fundamentalist churches almost on every corner….with wine and spirits stores alternating in between. The majority of cars you see on the roads around here are BMW, Lexus, Nissans, ….and Prius. (We have a great Prius V.) I hear radio ads for Mitch McConnell and his "pro coal stance" and the usual Obama bashing. There was even a lonely "impeach Obama" rally on a major intersection a while back. But we had a Pride Parade in Market Square.

We have several solar farms in the vicinity, as well as a wind turbine farm further up in the hills. You see solar panels on roofs of homes……and even the HGTV complex is a green facility. Recycling is really big around here…..as well as throwing your beer cans and trash on the side of the road. Maybe we are not really any different that most cities in the country. I have lived in several states, including Hawaii and upstate New York, and each one has its own character.

All of my relatives here are decidedly Republican. They had McCain-Palin stickers on the car. Maybe a bit racist…but they go to church, so………..

Romney was their man for president, too. "Ann Romney is so pretty." FOX news is their source of information. Sometimes going out to lunch can get a bit tricky here...

BUT I got a phone call from a cousin in Chattanooga this morning to thank me for a project I had done. Her husband had colon cancer…several surgeries in two weeks for complications, also, and now undergoing chemo. She herself has had serious on-going health problems for years. They go to The Cleveland Clinic and Vanderbilt a lot. She said they pay $47,000.00 a year just for her medical expenses alone…..and she was afraid that Blue Cross was going to cancel them entirely. He is a small business owner, and they do not have that kind of money.

Thanks to Obamacare, she said, they now have coverage they can afford and they will not be kicked off for any reason. (I have a feeling their son checked into this for them.) It is blessing for them. She had nothing but good things to say about it.

They will continue to come to the UT football games. They will continue to go to church. They will continue to patronize the upscale establishments. They will continue to watch Fox and and dislike the president. They will collect their Social Security in a few years. And they will continue to vote REPUBLICAN.

Getting Frustrated …...

………and bored with the negative media push about the Healthcare Exchanges? I know I am. Don't know which is worse: the complete omission of all the facts concerning the law or the constant parade of "horror stories" on cable networks  like FOX, CBS, or CNN from people who "had insurance cancelled and now must pay 1000 times more for coverage." Then upon further investigation, it is proven that these people either did not go online and check, did not do it correctly, or as with my daughter's family, they make too much money for subsidies. (Or in one case, was a former Repub candidate for political office. ) Even John Boehner's getting into the act tweeting his outrage over the fact that "a separate policy must be purchased for a baby" even though he knew damn well that that was not true. His correction: crickets.

Well, here's an actual FaceBook post yesterday from a family friend in Kentucky:

But you won't hear about this from John Boehner…….and definitely not Mitch McConnell.

The Horrors Of Enrolling…..

…..on the insurance website. 

I just spent almost two hours helping a relative change insurances on-line. We compared several different plans. I explained premiums, copays, deductibles and showed her what "add ons" were available. She's had insurance for decades, but somehow the finer points were lost on her…"Everything was just always paid for. I didn't pay anything."  (Take that with a grain of salt…….)

One was selected and we proceeded to enroll. She does not possess a computer or computer skills…too much trouble, she says. Things were going along swimmingly until we got to the screen that  wanted her to select a primary care physician. FROZEN SCREEN. After a few minutes of maneuvering and getting nowhere, I called the 800 number on the screen.

A young gentleman, who did not want to talk to me so much, began the process again with my aunt. Repeat questions. Choose doctor. Choose pharmacy. Go over the same things. Get the same numbers. Aunt getting anxious. (She can hit every designer showroom, attend every fashion show, go to every boutique opening, and cook for twenty…but a business matter confounds her.) FINALLY we are through. She is a complete basket case. (Insert my smug expression here….)

This fine conservative Republican-voting woman had earlier given me the FOX talking points of the treachery of Obamacare. "Even the Dems are running from it," says she. And then she goes on about how she's always felt her friend took advantage of her late retired military husband's disability, Medicare, pension, retirement, double-dipping or something of that nature.

Oh, did I forget to tell you…..we were on HUMANA'S website, for Medicare plans.

Be Very Afraid...

All this misinformation, fear mongering, twisting of facts, and lying about the ACA is getting a little tiresome. The media occasionally draws attention to the scare tactics of people on television and radio griping about their "cancellation letters" and "horror stories" of going to the website….but usually only if it's a gotcha moment with another network.

But it needs to be pointed out :

If your plan was in effect before the law was enacted in 2010, your plan is grandfathered in even if it does not meet the ACA requirements as long as YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY DOES NOT CHANGE THE PLAN. 

Meaning, it:

- May not significantly cut or reduce benefits (e.g. removing coverage for cystic fibrosis),
- May not raise co-insurance charges (any change at all),
- May not significantly increase co-payment charges ($5 or more beyond medical inflation),
- May not significantly raise deductibles (15% or more beyond medical inflation),
- May not significantly decrease the employer contribution (5% or more),
- May not tighten the annual limit of what the insurer will pay, and
- May not change insurance providers.

In essence, those insurances that are wanting to DO this to its policy holders…to gain profits for themselves….are not allowed to do so. That's the reason for all the "cancellation notices" without informing their customers that why usually have better choices than the crappy policy they have now. Or maybe they'll say it's because of Obamacare….because they do not want to follow the rules of the ACA.

Ask those folks in Kentucky, California, other states that went ahead with their own exchanges and are able to get the correct information. There will be a small portion to show increases, usually those on individual policies with higher incomes. And younger people who are invincible and want to wait….until they are in that car wreck or have a sports accident. (The Repubs are OK with pushing means-testing on SS and Medicare, but for some reason they have a hissy fit if anyone's insurance goes up in the ACA. But even though it has been going up very year for decades, it's simply "the market working.")

And The Beat Goes On…..

UPDATE:

Looks like there is some apologizing going on here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/08/lara-logan-apologizes-60-minutes-benghazi-correction_n_4239046.html

Looks like CBS has joined the list of networks who only want to present one side of the political spectrum…and I am disappointed. Up till about a month ago, they seemed to be very circumspect in their journalism. Then the Obamacare reporting…which was followed up by an investigative report  FOX journalists (sorry!) and debunked. And the Benghazi first-hand story which has now been questioned, but not addressed by CBS.

http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/11/03/fox-news-diligent-cbs-60-minutes/

Then this evening they ended their latest Obamacare report with "it looks like there are fewer choices and higher premiums on the federal healthcare program."

There is NEVER one word about the individual states' exchanges and how well they are doing at this point. THIS was the result that the administration intended…they were not expecting to have to do everything from one site.

"What people pay in increased premiums is intended to be less than they would pay by increasing healthcare costs that bury the burden in healthcare across the board. The costs are going to be shifted and paid for by people one way or another. Obamacare actually makes the cost more transparent. Pay me now, or pay me later. You can't have your cake and eat it too".

  http://www.examiner.com/article/obamacare-is-about-2-things-insuring-the-uninsured-and-cutting-healthcare-cost

I'm just disgusted with ALL media at this point.

Another layer of deceit and misinformation, other than that provided ad nauseam from all Right Wing sources, is being revealed these days. Along with "government takeover of healthcare," "sticker shock," and "paying for moochers 'bad lifestyle choice," the insurers themselves are throwing monkey wrenches into the system…..one way to get back at the ACA, I guess. If lobbying for its repeal doesn't work, let's take another approach: hiding benefits from customers.

"If you're an insurance company, you're trying to hang onto the consumers you have at the highest price you can get them," Laura Etherton, a health policy analyst at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, told TPM. "You can take advantage of the confusion about what people get to have now. It's a new world. It's disappointing that insurance companies are sending confusing letters to consumers to take advantage of that confusion. The reality is that this could do real harm."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/insurance-companies-misleading-letters-obamacare

These letters do not give any helpful information regarding "Obamacare." Why, you ask? People just might find out that a better deal is available there, and NOT with the choices your carrier is giving you. That is bad for business…at least the way they want to run it.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115457/obamacare-victim-florida-happy-she-can-get-real-coverage

And you will never hear about this unless you dig real deep amongst all the garbage being spewed, but, for example:

"Independence Blue Cross in Philadelphia has four plans that are free to some customers. But the company, along with other insurers, has been careful not to publicize its free coverage for fear of alienating customers who will need to pay more."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/04/business/under-health-care-act-millions-eligible-for-free-policies.html?hp&_r=1&

The state sites are doing well.
 GET THAT FEDERAL SITE UP AND RUNNING so people can see for themselves. Seems like people these days don't just want that drink of water…you have to put the glass up to their lips, too.

OK, I Give….

 What is going on at CBS these days? 

Several people.....including those on Political Carnival, Politico, Washington Post and Sulia....have written about the narrative presented by 60 Minutes regarding the "horrible experiences" had by people comparing costs in Obamacare after being"cancelled" by their current insurance carriers. Further investigation by FOX reporters (imagine!!!) proved these stories untrue. Not one response from CBS.

Last week an episode was aired regarding a security guard's first-hand experiences during the attack in BENGHAZI which left four people dead, and the Republicans calling for Hillary Clinton's head on a platter. What was left out of the interview was the fact that this person had a book coming out, and it seems like a few of the details didn't quite jibe. This, once again, was called out by several other journalists and bloggers (http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/11/03/fox-news-diligent-cbs-60-minutes/ ..but we don't count.

Also : "The four-page indicent report, obtained by The Daily Beast, has not been previously published. A State Department official confirmed it matches the version sent to the U.S. government by Davies’s then-employer Blue Mountain Group, the private security company based in Britain, on Sept. 14, 2012, and subsequently provided to Congressional committees investigating the Benghazi attacks."

This evening at the end of 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley made the comment (with a screen shot of the Benghazi story in the background) that "we have received several letters about this story we presented last week." Thinking perhaps I was going to hear "we goofed" imagine how dumbfounded I was when he proceeded to quote three notes that said " I'm glad the story is getting out there. It's about time this network told the truth" and something about finding out who's to blame. Not one word that there were questions raised as to the veracity of the man's accounting. ( i.e. "He learned of Stevens’s death, Davies wrote, when a Libyan colleague who had been at the hospital came to the villa to show him a cellphone picture….")

Am I missing something here? Nothing has been said to date about the slipshod reporting on Obamacare or a follow up on the folks they interviewed. Now, there seems to be a subtle doubling down on presenting stories of questionable veracity. Journalistic integrity seems to have fallen by the way side.....for a reason? Let me guess…...

Forget 'Don't Trust The Government"…Look At The Media

Is CBS finally going the way of most of the other media…just get the story out there? Has fact checking and researching your sources become passé with them, too? Or has the network owner, a Republican supporter, taken more of an "interest" in what is being presented these days?

Last week a 60 MINUTES story was done on Morgan Jones, a security contractor at the embassy in Benghazi, and his account of the happenings during the attack. But not quite truthful it seems. Since then:

"Jones' new book written about the attacks, "The Embassy House," was released this week by a publisher with ties to CBS — a disclosure not included in the "60 Minutes" segment."
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/cbss-star-benghazi-witness-is-looking-increasingly-unreliable-2013-11#ixzz2jVfVZdt1

Then several stories reported by Scott Pelley during the evening news were told about several people who were going to have to pay "10 times" what they were paying for Obamacare. They were shocked and outraged of course.
This was looked into…and debunked.….by a FOX journalist, believe it or not. Just took a few phone calls and an interview. 

Today there is a story on their website in which the following quote is made from a Congressman:

"... Coats (R-IN) added, 'This is about more than just a website and it will take more than a 1-800 Rose Garden infomercial from the President to fix this. The failure of [the] Obamacare launch is just the tip of the iceberg, and unless we act, Americans will be stuck on board this Titanic.'

It is fine to have views from both sides. It is expected, really.

But to report on CBS that "the president's federal healthcare website is a disaster" without adding a sentence such as "Those exchanges being run by the states, however, are doing just fine," is a sin of omission.

What kind of world has it become, when at least twice now, FACTS were "outed" by the nation of Right Wing propaganda, FOX news, and NOT by main stream media, that "liberal media?"

"They just didn't contemplate that the feds would have to run over half of the states," said Dan Mendelson, CEO of Avalere Health, a consulting company that’s been tracking insurance marketplaces. "And while the federally-run exchanges are behind, the state-run health exchanges have done their work -- embracing the program, engaging their communities, advertising…."http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/10/16/why-state-run-health-exchanges-are-faring-better/

We know the networks that routinely do a slipshod job of reporting news of the day and political facts. But for Pete's sake….has everybody become a spineless clone? 

We Pay These Guys?

I am soooo embarrassed by the antics of the Republican Congress critters in my state. Having no empathy, or care and consideration for the poor, unemployed, veterans, children, or those with health problems…..they refused to expand Medicaid and develop their own health insurance exchanges….and support the slashing of food stamps in Tennessee. (But you can carry GUNS almost anywhere here.)

We have Marsha Blackburn with her "let 'em drive Fords" idiocy, spouting off at the Obamacare hearings the other day……..she was so concerned about the outcome that she LEFT right after her television close ups and was interviewed by FOX outside the hearing room.

Just the other day in Memphis, Senator Brian Kelsey gave Kathleen Sebelius a primer  to "help her with the healthcare website."

TN Sen @BrianKelsey gave Kathleen Sebelius "Websites for Dummies" during #Memphis #healthcare event #news

4:37 PM - 1 Nov 13 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hunterschwarz/a-lawmaker-gave-kathleen-sebelius-a-web-sites-for-dummies-bo

These jerks, along with their fellow Republicans in the Congress, have done everything possible from Day One to throw a monkey wrench into the progress of the Obama administration. Their latest obstruction of NOT giving the HHS department enough funds to implement the website and help it's implementation was totally destructive. Not letting their states (mostly Repub governed Southern ones…) expand Medicaid and do their own exchanges was another blow. This put all the more strain on the federal exchanges and sites. 

This was not an accident…...just another round in their "make Obama look like a foolish failure" campaign.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/the-obamacare-sabotage-campaign-99176.html

But not to worry…..Canter released the calendar for working days in Congress next year.

"The 2014 calendar for the House was released Thursday by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), and shows members will only work only 113 days. That's down from 2013, when House lawmakers were scheduled to meet for 126 days."

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/10/31/congress-working-less-than-13-of-year-in-2014-getting-full-salary/

I wonder how much pain and havoc….plus ignorance and juvenile antics….they can concoct during that short time?

Gregory vs Insurance CEO

David Gregory is not happy that he cannot get the "right" answers from an insurance company CEO to spin "the train wreck that is Obamacare." Funny, he does not delve into the comments of other guests on his show or even admit he's trying.

(Thanks Charlie for pointing out the "senior moment in my title…..)

Way Back In Time...

The Right is all in an uproar about this "horrible train wreck that is Obamacare." Yes, there are some problems with the website not the insurance marketplace itself. President Obama himself is frustrated.....this is not exactly what he had in mind, either.

But let's go back a few years.....say to the rollout of Bush's Medicare Part D.

"States will soon be able to file reimbursement claims for expenses they incurred supplying Medicare recipients with medications during the launch of the federal government’s Medicare Part D drug program in January. As that plan was rolled out, many Medicare recipients found themselves unable to fill their prescriptions at pharmacy counters across the nation. Enrollment confusion and computer glitches were the main sources of the problems."

"President Bush defended the Medicare Part D program, glitches and all, in his weekly radio address this past weekend"

http://www.medicalinformaticsinsider.com/2006/02/28/medicare-to-reimburse-states-for-part-d-glitches/

Were there calls for heads to roll? Were there resignations demanded? Was this grand undertaking even on the books?

I'm sure that this will be a topic of discussion on FOX any night now......

Best Of Show In Obamacare: KENTUCKY

Ah, the stomping grounds of Msrs. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul: two of the most vocal opponents of the Affordable Care Act.

“We have some of the worst health statistics in the country," explained Gov. Beshear.  "If there’s some way I can attack that and change the course of history in Kentucky on health care, I’m going to do it, and the Affordable Care Act gives me a historic opportunity and a tool to do just that ”  

http://blueinthebluegrass.blogspot.com/2013/10/kentuckys-obamacare-is-gold-standard.html

Battling The Spin Zone

Getting tired of of friends and relatives...especially those of Republican persuasion....whine that "they have not heard anything about Obamacare" and all they spout is FOX talking points? Or maybe Rush Limbaugh who touted the other day that NO ONE even called BC/BS in California on the exchange. They just know it's going to ruin this country and lead us to socialism......just like Social Security and Medicare, am I right?

Here is a primer to help, but getting them to accept it won't be easy. Nothing is free, as they claim. There are no "death panels." Everyone has "skin in the game." And you're not denied healthcare services according to your political party.

 THE EDITOR: Cutting through the confusion 

• OVERVIEW: Finding your way through the Health Insurance Marketplace
• CLEARING IT UP: Top 10 myths on the federal health law
• ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS: The Fact Squad responds
• WHO IS THE FACT SQUAD?: Meet the panel of experts
• CLARK HOWARD: What consumers can expect with Affordable Care Act
• PROTECTING YOURSELF: How to shield yourselves from ACA-related scam
• DIFFERENCES BY GROUP: Health care changes impact ages differently
• WATCHING YOUR HEALTH: Preventative health plays big role in reforms
• GLOSSARY: ABCs of the Affordable Care Act: a glossary for consumers
• 
  

Even more information is available, such as...

• Q: How can small business owners enroll in the exchange?
• Q: How do I know if I qualify for the exchange?
• Q: Can I buy health insurance on the exchange if I already have insurance through an employer?
• Q: How do I sign up?
• Q: How much will I have to spend to buy coverage on the exchange?
• Q: What kind of coverage options can I expect to find on the exchange?
• Q: Will I be eligible for any other cost savings on the exchange?
• Q: As a small business owner, will I be eligible for a subsidy if I buy insurance for my employees on the exchange?
• Q: Does the exchange have a Spanish-language version?
• Q: What if my income is too low to qualify for the exchange?
• 
  
• http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/data/news/affordable-care-act/
• 
  

There is a ton of information on this site (it is for Ohio, but the stats remain the same.) Print the whole thing out and pass it around if you need to. Some 15 per cent  of Americans do NOT use computers. Some folks will not like it no matter what you say....but there is NO excuse for being ignorant of the facts.

SPREAD THE FACTS ON OBAMACARE!!

UPDATE:
An example from Texas, of all places:
http://www.juanitajean.com/2013/09/23/well-well-well/

Text provided by staff writers of The Palm Beach Post

What do I have to do?

Beginning Jan. 1, everyone will have to have health insurance. Policies must include what the government considers minimum essential benefits. People without health insurance, with some exceptions, must pay a penalty when they file their tax return in 2015.

The basics on getting insured in the new marketplaces

Where to go: Choose your state from the list at Healthcare.gov to apply for coverage or compare plans. 

When: Open enrollment starts Oct. 1 and runs through March 31, 2014

What happens:

1. Fill out an application.
2. The government gives you options and helps you compare coverage and costs (including deductibles, premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.)
3. You decide whether to enroll and, if so, pick a plan.
4. You enroll.

Here’s how the health care law could affect you:

Important information about health plan choices

When you compare marketplace insurance plans, they're put into four categories based on how you and the plan share the costs of care. Click here to find out more.

Am I covered?

You won’t pay a penalty if you meet one of these conditions.

Fees

If you’re not insured in 2014, you’ll have to pay a fee on your 2015 federal income tax return.What are the fees?

Who doesn't have to pay the fee?

Uninsured people won't have to pay a fee if they meet one of these conditions.

I have insurance through my employer

You’re covered for 2014 as long as you have minimum essential benefits. Your employer should let you know in re-enrollment papers. Can I shop the marketplace rates anyway?

I'm on Medicare

Medicare benefits have expanded under the health care law. Find out what additional benefits you may receive.

I have a chronic disease

Starting in 2014, being sick won't keep you from getting health coverage. An insurance company can't turn you down or charge you more because of your condition. Are there any exceptions?

How can I tell if I qualify for Medicaid?

Each state has different rules about who qualifies for Medicaid. Click here to find out if you qualify.

I don’t qualify for Medicaid, but I can’t afford health insurance

In 2014, an individual making up to about $45,000, or a family of 4 making up to about $94,000, may qualify for lower costs under the Affordable Care Act. Click here to see if you qualify for a subsidy.

I am a veteran

If you are enrolled in (or are a beneficiary of) any of these programs, you’re considered to have minimum essential coverage under the health care law.

I am responsible for a child without insurance

There are several options available. Click here to see if your child qualifies.

I am an immigrant

To be eligible for health coverage through the marketplace, you must meet these qualifications.

I am an American citizen living abroad

Generally, health insurance coverage in the marketplace covers health care provided by doctors, hospitals, and medical services within the United States. Find out more here.

I own a business with 50 or fewer employees

If you offer insurance coverage now, you can keep your plan. You also can offer a plan through the Small Business Health Options Program, which could qualify you for tax credits. Find out more.

I am self employed

If you have no employees, you can shop for insurance at healthcare.gov starting Oct. 1 and possibly qualify for lower costs. Find out more.

Sources: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service