Grandmothered plans are individual and small-group health plans that took effect after the ACA was signed into law in 2010, but before the exchanges opened for business in 2013. (In some states, grandmothered plans include plans that were issued as late as the end of 2013.)| healthinsurance.org
For women in the US, health insurance has come a very long way in the last decade, thanks in large part to the dramatic improvements and consumer protections brought about by Obamacare. This is particularly true in the individual market, where previous reforms and mandates had rarely applied.| healthinsurance.org
A cost-sharing reduction (CSR) is a provision of the Affordable Care Act that reduces out-of-pocket costs for eligible enrollees who select Silver health insurance plans in the marketplace. CSRs – often referred to as cost-sharing subsidies – reduce enrollees' cost-sharing by lowering a health plan's out-of-pocket maximum, and increasing the actuarial value (AV) of the plan.| healthinsurance.org
Outside of the ACA's open enrollment period, you can only sign up for ACA-compliant health coverage if you qualify for a special enrollment period.| healthinsurance.org
While the Affordable Care Act's premium subsidies help pay the cost of the health insurance itself, cost-sharing subsidies help to reduce out-of-pocket spending for eligible enrollees when they select Silver plans. The Trump administration eliminated federal funding for cost-sharing reductions, but the benefits are still available to eligible enrollees. And because the cost of cost-sharing reductions has been added to premiums, premium subsidies are much larger than they were prior to 2018.| healthinsurance.org
All plans (whether Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum) must cover the same essential benefits, including free preventive care; they all provide comprehensive coverage. But plans with the lowest premiums (Bronze, and to a lesser extent, Silver) require you to pay a larger share of your health costs. This means that your co-pays and deductibles will be higher, and your maximum out-of-pocket will generally be higher as well.| healthinsurance.org