Be Covered Illinois

What is the New Health Care Law?

The new health care law – called the Affordable Care Act – was passed in 2010. The law is changing the way some Americans get health coverage – but what does it really mean for you?

The law is increasing access to care for all of us. Some changes are happening now.

• Starting in 2014, you will be able to buy private health insurance if you want it, or see if you qualify for a government health plan.
• The new law gives access to coverage to every person, despite any preexisting conditions or other issues that may have prevented you from getting health insurance in the past.
• You will also have access to preventive services and screenings without paying anything out of pocket, to help you stay healthier by preventing health problems, or catching them before they become much more serious.

There are so many benefits to the new law. Let Be Covered Illinois help you understand them, so you can make the best decisions for you and your family.

Did You Know?

• The biggest change will come in 2014, when almost everyone will be required to have health insurance.
• Essential health benefits such as emergency services, maternity and newborn care and prescription drugs will be included in every insurance plan.
• Those in the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" get a 50 percent discount on name-brand prescription drugs and a 21 percent discount on generic prescription drugs.
• You will also have access to preventive services and screenings without paying anything out of pocket, to help you stay healthier preventing health problems, or catching them before they become much more serious.
• Starting in 2014, you will be able to buy private health insurance if you want it, or see if you qualify for a government health plan.
• Young adults can now stay on their parent's health plan up to age 26.
• Insurance coverage won't have dollar limits on the health care covered in your lifetime.
• When you shop and enroll in insurance, you'll be able to get a summary of the benefits and health coverage offered by the plan, with easy-to-understand descriptions and examples that explain the benefits.
• The new law will give access to coverage to every person, despite any preexisting conditions or other issues that may have prevented you from getting health insurance in the past.
• Any plan you choose will allow you to pick the primary care doctor or pediatrician of your choice from your health plan's provider network.

Get Started

A guide to the new health care law

There's a lot of talk about the new health care law – but what does it mean? Read Be Covered Illinois' easy-to-follow brochure to learn what impact the new health care law will have on you if you have insurance and if you don't, what your next steps should be.
Download this brochure to learn more

Did you know?

With all the talk about the new health care law, you are probably interested in just the facts. Look no further, let Be Covered Illinois be your guide.
Download this fact sheet to learn more

Top questions about the new health care law

We know you have a lot of questions about the new health care law. Check out Be Covered Illinois' top questions to see if we may be able to answer them for you.
Find out more

Top Asked Questions

• How does the new health care law help me?

• I have heard that October is important. What is so important about October?

• My 22-year old son just graduated from college, but doesn’t have a job. Will the new health care law help him be covered?

• My mom got turned down for insurance because of her diabetes. Will she be able to get covered under the new law?

• Now that I know open enrollment starts in October, what do I need to do to get ready?

• What if I can’t afford health insurance?

• What is this penalty I keep hearing about if I don’t sign up for health insurance by 2014?

• What’s happening in 2014?

About Be Covered Illinois

Be Covered Illinois is a grassroots campaign introducing uninsured Illinoisans to the new health insurance options available under the Affordable Care Act. The campaign provides user-friendly information and on-the-ground guidance to help families understand the new health care law. We work with community-based organizations and partners large and small to reach people where they live, work, learn, worship, text and tweet. The campaign will join with partners to educate their members, to hold neighborhood events linking families to services, and to help Illinoisans Be Covered.

Campaign Elements

www.BeCoveredIllinois.org

Our website is an information hub for families and individuals seeking to understand the new health care changes under Affordable Care Act. The bilingual website features user-friendly content, Q and A's, Ten Tips, Health Insurance Starter Kits, testimonials, resource links, and online tools to help navigate the new law so that families can make the best decisions for their particular situation. The website houses our Community Calendar to connect families to events in their own neighborhoods.

Bilingual Supplement

Be Covered Illinois has partnered with impreMedia, the nation's largest Spanish-language newspaper chain, to develop a special bilingual supplement to connect families to a range of important programs and services including low-cost health insurance options, immunization programs, free and reduced school lunch programs, SNAP, The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), discount utilities and more. The user-friendly guide will be distributed FREE to more than one million families across our state in our effort to link Illinoisans to the programs that can help them live healthier lives.

Text Me Campaign

In our effort to reach families wherever they are, we have launched a texting campaign to make sure that families stay up-to-date on the important changes coming in the Fall. The texting campaign helps us stay in touch with families to make sure they know when important deadlines are approaching, links them to local resources and community events, and connects them to timely updates. We also use the texting program to help families access new mobile tools so they can get assistance while on-the-go.

Neighborhood Events

Neighborhoods and the people and organizations within them are at the center of our effort. To that end, we will bring together a wide range of community partners to host large-scale neighborhood events aimed at linking thousands of families to programs and services available to them. In addition to a resource fair, we will offer on-site enrollment to ensure that families will not only learn about programs, but also be able to enroll, right then and there. As 2014 approaches, Be Covered Illinois will help Illinoisans understand what options are available to them under the new health care law, and will provide them with information and tools that can help them take full advantage of the law's provisions. We will also offer onsite health care enrollment, SNAP enrollment, flu shots and immunizations, free tax preparation, healthy food giveaways and much more.

Neighbor to Neighbor – Spread the Word Campaign

Be Covered Illinois will make a concentrated effort to encourage neighbors to talk to neighbors about the new health care law. Everyone we engage at events, online, through neighborhood organizations can connect their friends, colleagues and family to the campaign's resources at their doors, at the office, through social networks, and through word of mouth.

Helpful Materials

There's a lot of talk about the new health care law – but what does it mean? Read Be Covered Illinois' easy-to-follow brochure to learn more.

Download our Health Law Guide

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