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"  Although the federal government is now officially shut down, Americans can still sign up for health-care coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace that officially opened today. This piece of the Affordable Care Act is designed to provide\u2014just as the name suggests\u2014affordable coverage for uninsured Americans. Here are five things you need to know about the new health-care exchanges and what they mean for you and your family. 1. You qualify to buy an insurance plan if you&amp;#039;re not currently receiving coverage through a federal program, such as Medicaid or Medicare, or access to job-based coverage that costs less than 9.5 percent of your income.  2. You can explore Marketplace options if you currently have job-based coverage, but keep in mind that if you choose a plan from the exchange, your employer doesn&amp;#039;t have to contribute to your premiums. You also won&amp;#039;t get lower out-of-pocket costs or premiums in the Marketplace if your job-based coverage is considered affordable. There will be advantages for people who remain covered by employers, including caps placed on what they pay out-of-pocket and free preventative care.  3. All private health insurance plans in the Marketplace have to offer the same set of essential health benefits. Plans won&amp;#039;t be able to turn you away or charge more if you&amp;#039;re sick or have a pre-existing condition, nor can they charge women more than men.  4. The government will provide almost all buyers with a tax credit to make insurance more affordable. To keep costs down for young adults, children can stay on their parent&amp;#039;s plan until the age of 26. After that, they can buy low-budget &amp;quot;catastrophic plans&amp;quot; until they&amp;#039;re 30.  5. You can only purchase coverage during special enrollment periods, such as the one that begins today and ends on March 31, 2014. If you are currently uninsured, you&amp;#039;ll face a penalty fine if you fail to buy in. Nevertheless, the government will waive it if you can&amp;#039;t afford a plan and aren&amp;#039;t able to get insurance anywhere else.  Interested in exploring Health Insurance Marketplace&amp;#039;s plan options? The Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-partisan organization, developed this calculator to let users estimate health insurance premiums and eligibility for subsidies in the exchanges. Find the exchange in your state at healthcare.gov. Sources: FoxNews.com; Slate.com; healthcare.gov; USAToday.com; Time.com; NorthlandNewsCenter.com "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/life/mom-kids/news/a16169/health-insurance-marketplace-affordable-care-act/>