Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The comprehensive health care reform law enacted in March 2010 to make affordable health insurance available to more people, expand Medicaid, and support innovative medical care delivery methods designed to lower the costs of health care generally.

Refer to glossary for more details.

” refers to the final, amended version of the law.

The law provides numerous rights and protections that make health coverage fairer and easier to understand, along with subsidies (through the “

premium tax credit

A tax credit you can use to lower your monthly insurance payment (called your “premium”) when you enroll in a plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace®. Your tax credit is based on the income estimate and household information you put on your Marketplace application.

Refer to glossary for more details.

cost-sharing reductions

A discount that lowers the amount you have to pay for deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. In the Health Insurance Marketplace®, cost-sharing reductions are often called “extra savings.” If you qualify, you must enroll in a plan in the Silver category to get the extra savings.

Refer to glossary for more details.

”) to make it more affordable. The law also expands

Insurance program that provides free or low-cost health coverage to some low-income people, families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Many states have expanded their Medicaid programs to cover all people below certain income levels.

Refer to glossary for more details.

to cover more people with low incomes.

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