Soon, you won’t have to worry about finding the best price for health insurance. Instead of going to 10 or more websites to get the best price, you’ll be able to log in to one site and find the best plan for you. Called the Health Insurance Marketplace, these state-ran websites are part of the Obamacare plan and should revolutionize the way people obtain health insurance.

health insurance

What Is the Health Insurance Marketplace?

Sometimes known as the Health Insurance Exchange, the marketplace will be where you go to fill out an application to see the insurance plans available in your area. This will also be where you’ll discover if you’re eligible for low-cost or free programs, such as Medicaid. You’ll also use the marketplace to determine if you qualify for lower out-of-pocket expenses. In other words, it will become your one-stop shop for your insurance buying needs.

When Does It Go Into Effect?

You will be able to enroll starting October 1, 2013 and insurance plans will go into effect as early as January 1, 2014.

What Are the Benefits?

One of the biggest benefits of using the Health Insurance Marketplace will be the easy in which you’ll be able to find and apply for health insurance. You’ll be able to easily compare insurance plans based on what’s important to you, whether it be price, benefits, or even quality. More importantly, everything will be presented in an easy to understand language so that there’s no guessing about what you’re really buying.

How Do I Apply?

Access to Marketplace coverage will be available online, through the mail, or in-person. You can apply using any of these methods. You will also be able to get help applying by calling a number that will be available 24/7. Due note that it is expected that there will be high volumes of people visiting the site on October 1 and access may be limited.

The Health Insurance Marketplace will make it much easier for everyone to find the insurance they need based on benefits, price, and much more and sites like turbotax will help you to make sure you’re proving your coverage correctly on your future tax returns. More importantly though, everything will be written in a language that is easy to understand. The ability to handle all of your insurance needs through one location will greatly benefit those that don’t have the time or resources to search for the perfect insurance plan. However, it is expected that there will be long wait times or inaccessibility during the first day of operation. It’s recommended you visit the site again once the traffic has died down and any bugs have been fixed.