The Affordable Care Act
and Resources for the University System of Maryland
Adelphi, Md. (Oct. 18, 2013) - The University
System of Maryland (USM) is committed to ensuring that the entire USM community--students,
faculty and staff--is informed regarding substantial changes in health care
coverage rendered by the federal Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act,
also known as the ACA and "Obamacare," is a federal law that presents
opportunities for eligible students, faculty and staff to access a range of new
low-cost health insurance options.
If
you are a USM employee who is not eligible for health insurance through the
State Employees' Health Plan, or if you are a student who is not covered
through your parents' health plan, the following information may be important
to you.
In 2014, nearly every adult in the United
States is required to have health insurance or pay a penalty. Fortunately, the State of Maryland has been a
leader in establishing a network of affordable, comprehensive health insurance
options for all of its citizens. Starting
in October, you will be able to enroll in a health plan on sponsored by the
Maryland Health Insurance Exchange-known as Maryland Health Connection-- that
meets the Affordable Care Act's strict benefits requirements and will start
providing coverage on January 1, 2014.
Open enrollment through the
Maryland Health Connection is currently underway. The enrollment period will
run through March 31, 2014. Those who do not have coverage by that date may be
subject to a penalty.
The USM plans to have resources available on each campus and its two regional
centers to provide more detailed information to students. Starting in November,
the USM hopes to have on-campus "navigators" who can answer questions and help
both students and employees enroll in the plan that best meets their needs.
The links and reports below are provided so that members of the USM
community can learn about opportunities presented by the Affordable Care Act
and how to obtain health care coverage if not currently covered.
Chancellor's
Letter to USM Faculty/Staff Eligible for State Employees' Health Benefits Plan
Chancellor's
Letter to USM Faculty/Staff Ineligible for State Employees' Health Benefits
Plan
USM
Communique to Students: USM and the Affordable Care Act
Federally
Mandated Health Insurance Marketplace Coverage Notice
What Students Need to Know About the Affordable Care Act
Fact Sheets from Maryland Health
Connection (available in both English and Spanish): This link provides basic information about the health plans that will
be available on Maryland Health Connection and how to apply for them. They include fact sheets on the basic plans; who
is eligible for coverage; what you need in order to apply; how low- and
middle-income individuals and families can get subsidies to make their health
insurance affordable; and how to avoid insurance scams.
www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/resources/fact-sheets-2/
Maryland Health Connection's 40+
Plan Options, Providers, Sample Rates: Five different health plans are offering
over 40 different plans, tailored to meet different needs-from low-premium,
high-deductible plans for individuals who use few health services ("Bronze"
plans) to higher-premium plans that have low or no deductibles and few
out-of-pocket costs for individuals and families that may need more health
services ("Silver, Gold and Platinum" plans). This link provides detailed
information about every one of the plans offered by the Maryland Health
Connection for you to review and compare, as well as basic information about
how subsidies for low- and middle-income individuals will work.
http://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/health-coverage-resources/prepare-for-enrollment
Healthcare.gov: If you live out-of-state and need to obtain
health insurance, this is the federal ACA website. From there, you can link up with the Health
Insurance Exchange in your home state. www.healthcare.gov
American
Council on Education "ACA 101" Outreach Toolkit for Colleges and Universities
http://www.acenet.edu/news-room/Documents/ACA-Toolkit-100213.pdf
Kaiser
Foundation Interactive Insurance Calculator
http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/
