Affordable Care Act deadlines in 2014

The Washington Post Wonkblog healthcare reporter Sarah Kliff posted a short 2 minute video (link) listing the important dates and deadlines for those signing up for heath insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Below I have listed some of these key dates:

1. January 1: Healthcare coverage begins for those who signed up by Dec. 24, 2013 including Medicaid plans.
2. January 1: Those whose healthcare plans were canceled (and not replaced with a new plan) could lose their coverage on this date. Insurers can make extensions but that depends on each state's health commissioner. 
3. January 1: Insurers cannot deny coverage or charge more for pre-existing conditions. This new provision is a central feature of the Affordable Care Act.
4. January 1: New limits on how much insurers can charge the elderly.
5. January 10: First month payment is due (for those who want to be covered in January).
6. March 31: This is the deadline for coverage in 2014.
7. April 1: Individual mandate kicks in for those who don’t have insurance and can afford it. They will pay a fine (~$95/person).
8. Nov. 15: Open enrollment starts for coverage in 2015. 

A good source of information on the Affordable Care Act can be found on the website healthcare.gov which is now working much better than when it initially launched. Some basic points are listed here.

Affordable healthcare insurance is now available for the vast majority of Americans (including low income individuals and those with pre-existing conditions); please take advantage of it.

Figure 1. Healthcare insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act began for many on January 1, 2014.