Major ACA coverage provisions kick in with the new year

Nearly four years after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Jan. 1 marked the first day that consumers across the country could begin using the major coverage provisions in the law (Source: “Consumers Start Using Coverage Under Health Law,” New York Times, Jan. 1, 2014).

Not only did coverage for those enrolling through insurance marketplaces begin on the first of the year, also on Wednesday, Medicaid eligibility was officially expanded in Ohio and 25 other states to accommodate all individuals earning less than 138 percent of the federal poverty limit.