Every American must have health care by Jan. 1, 2014, or face paying a penalty tax during tax season in 2015, under the Affordable Care Act.

Open enrollment for all Americans begins Oct. 1 and ends March 31, 2014.

Every individual plan that exists today will not exist in 2014, because none of them will meet the requirements for ACA, said LeAnn Kennedy, life, health and employee benefits account executive at Barker-Uerlings Insurance.

Some insurance providers will allow people to remain on their benefit until April 1, which gives them the whole open enrollment period to get coverage without any breaks, Kennedy said.

For those without health insurance, applications must be completed by Dec. 15 to start coverage by Jan. 1, 2014, and avoid any tax penalties.

Everyone covered

The Affordable Care Act requires most Americans to have health insurance starting on Jan. 1, 2014, whether it is group insurance, individual insurance, Medicaid or Medicare, Kennedy said.

The key with the whole ACA is they will be able to get coverage somewhere, she said, even should they lose their jobs in the middle of the year.

One of the creations of the ACA is the development of exchanges or marketplaces. In Oregon, that health care marketplace is Cover Oregon, paid for with federal dollars.

There have been commercials for Cover Oregon, but people dont yet know what Cover Oregon is, Kennedy said. Those commercials will start to explain what Cover Oregon is.

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Plan to revise your health care