 [ Symptoms ] i can no longer afford my health plan will i be able to decline my plan and sign up for the affordable care act [ Disease ] yes starting october 1 you can start shopping for a new health plan through your state is 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 are currently paying particularly if you qualify for a tax credit it is also likely that if you buy your own health insurance now meaning you do not 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 are 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 is health insurance cost calculator