Here's What 240 Million Americans Will Have To Start Doing Next Week, Thanks To Obamacare

 The Huffington Post  |  By Nick Wing

On Oct. 1, the long-feared national nightmare finally arrives.
Obamacare, the massive health care reform law passed in 2010, will make its latest mark with the launch of its health insurance exchanges. When they officially open for business, 240 million Americans will have to start doing this:

If you're like 80 percent of Americans, you can chill out, just like this dog on a hammock.
The health insurance exchanges that are rolling out next week are designed to make it easier for people without insurance, or who buy insurance on their own, to get coverage. But if you are one of the roughly 240 million Americans that already have insurance through an employer, or are enrolled in a government program like Medicare, you can stay on that plan.
For the millions of Americans that will begin shopping for health insurance on online marketplaces next week, your course of action will depend on which state you live in. So will the cost of coverage.
For a basic overview of how much you can expect to pay for your individual plan, check out this nifty Obamacare premium calculator, which gives you a basic overview of the rate and subsidies available to you, based on your income, state of residence and family size.
In order to qualify for coverage beginning next year, people must sign up before Dec. 14. So if you know anybody who is uninsured, share this calculator with them so they know what their options are. The more people who sign up, the lower the rates will be.


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Subsidy Calculator

Premium Assistance for Coverage in Exchanges

About This Tool

This tool was developed by the Kaiser Family Foundation to illustrate health insurance on premiums and subsidies for people purchasing insurance on their own in new health insurance exchanges (or "Marketplaces") created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). You can enter different incomes, ages, and family sizes to get an estimate of your eligibility for subsidies and how much you could spend on health insurance. For more information on methodology and to read answers to frequently asked questions, click here.

Enter Information About Your Household

1. Select a State

U.S. Average Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District Of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming ?

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2. Enter annual income (dollars)

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3. Is employer coverage available?

No Yes ?

4. Number of people in family

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5. Number of adults (21 and older) enrolling in exchange coverage

1 Adult 2 Adults 3 Adults 4 Adults 5 Adults 6 Adults

6. Number of children (20 and younger) enrolling in exchange coverage

No Children 1 Child 2 Children 3 or more

How many Children use Tobacco?

0 1 2 3

Submit

Coverage purchased through these exchanges will begin Jan 1., 2014, when the individual mandate kicks in. If you don't receive an exemption and simply choose to remain uninsured after March 31, 2014, when open enrollment closes, you will be subject to a penalty under that mandate. It will cost you up to $95 or 1 percent of your annual income, whichever is higher, and the rate will increase in subsequent years.