yes starting october 1 you can start shopping for a new health plan through your state's health insurance marketplace. if you buy coverage by december 15 2013 your plan will go into effect january 1 2014. the cost of your health plan may be lower than what you're currently paying particularly if you qualify for a tax credit. it's also likely that if you buy your own health insurance now (meaning you don't get coverage through an employer) that your benefits may be richer than what you have now. you can get a good idea about whether you're likely to qualify for a tax credit and a ball park figure of what your insurance may cost under aca by plugging in some basic information into webmd's health insurance cost calculator.
i can no longer afford my health plan. will i be able to decline my plan and sign up for the affordable care act.