HealthCare.gov

 Later this year, well begin to realize the full promise of the health care law when millions of Americansindividuals, families, and small businesses will be able to find health insurance that fits their budgets and meets their needs, with less hassle, at the new Health Insurance Marketplace.

 Starting October 1st, the Marketplace will give Americans who are uninsured, or who buy their own coverage, a whole new way to shop for coverage. But nows the time to get ready.

Learn more about the Affordable Healthcare Act at http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/timeline/index.html

The best source for the latest and most accurate information about the Marketplace is the updated website, HealthCare.gov. For Spanish speaking consumers, CuidadoDeSalud.gov has also been updated in preparation for the coming Marketplace.

 The website has new resources, videos, and checklistsand live web chat available 24/7 in English and Spanish to help individuals, families and small businesses prepare for the Marketplace. The site also has information on how the Health Insurance Marketplace will work, what the benefits will be, and what are the key deadlines and milestones.

 Additionally, with the opening of a new toll free call center, consumers can now call 1-800-318-2596 to speak with a trained customer service representative 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Representatives will be available in English and Spanish, and there will be a language line to assist callers in over 150 additional languages.

 Thanks to the Marketplace, for the very first time, consumers will be able to go to one place to search for health coverage options; to get accurate information in easy to understand language on different plans; and to make apples-to-apples comparisons of private insurance plans. Theyll be able to get comprehensive information about benefits and quality, side by side with facts about price, before they have to make a choice.

 All health plans offered on the Marketplace must cover a comprehensive set of benefits, including physician visits, preventive care, hospital stays, and prescriptions. Plans must also treat everyone fairly; discrimination against pre-existing conditions will be banned. Coverage starts as soon as January 1, 2014.

 No matter where they live, consumers will only need to fill out a single application on the Marketplace to choose from the health plans available in their area to learn if they qualify for programs like Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Programor to find out if they qualify for lower costs on monthly premiums or out-of-pocket costs. New rules and expanded programs mean that more people than ever before,
including working families, will get financial help for health insurance.

We're counting down to coverage, and we want you, our stakeholders and
partners, to join our conversation. Start by visiting marketplace.cms.gov. There
youll find information and resources for anyone who wants to help raise
awareness and educate others about the Marketplace.

 We need you to help spread the word that nows the time to get ready. We need
you to engage your networks, your stakeholders, your community. And we need
you to help ensure that no one who is eligible is left out, left behind, or left on the
sidelines of the Marketplace.

 The health care law is already making a difference in the lives of millions of
Americans. Since the law passed, 3.1 million young adults have gained insurance
through their parents plans. 105 million Americans have had lifetime limits
removed from their insurance coverage. 6.1 million people with Medicare
received $5.7 billion in prescription drug discounts through 2012, and $2.1 billion
was returned to consumers in 2011because their health plans did not spend at least
80% of premium dollars on care or quality improvements.

 But thats just the beginning. Thanks to the health care law, the health insurance
landscape is changing for the better in 2014. Lets ensure that everyone can
successfully navigate that landscape to ensure better options and better health.