Health Care Reform and You

Issues: Health Care

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. The bill is giving Americans more security by holding insurance companies accountable, slowing down the rapidly rising cost of health care and helping more families get the peace of mind that comes with affordable and accessible health insurance.

On October 1st, California started a new Health Insurance Marketplace called Covered California for individuals who buy their own coverage, lose their coverage, or have no coverage at all. Covered California will be especially advantageous for self-employed people and people who work for small businesses that don’t currently offer coverage. It will serve as an online one-stop shop for a wide range of health plans, with clear explanations of their costs and benefits. Also, the law ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. 

In addition to the Marketplace for individuals, there will be a Marketplace for small businesses called a SHOP (Small Business Health Options Program), which will help make the purchase of health insurance affordable and accessible for small businesses.  Small businesses will also be able to benefit from the new law with the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. Beginning in 2014, this tax credit will be valued at up to 50 percent of a small business’s premium costs. Enrollment for the SHOP exchange also began October 1st. 

If you live in California's 3rd Congressional district and have friends or family who are uninsured and want to learn more about the new health care law, this web page is intended to help answer your questions.