Affordable Care Act in Arkansas

https://achi.net/aca/

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families w/ Legal Aid of Arkansas

For questions and appointments call 479-442-0600 ext. 4302 (English) or ext. 4317 (Espanol) or email ctrzcinski@arlegalaid.org (English) or jcamerlingo@arlegalaid.org (Espanol).

What is the Affordable Care Act?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed by Congress and signed into law on March 23, 2010. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has ten sections or Titles. A brief outline of each Title, as well as the full text of the ACA can be found at The Affordable Care Act, Section by Section. The provisions of the ACA are being phased in over four years. On October 1, 2013, open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace through HealthCare.gov begins for coverage starting as early as January 2014.

Health Insurance Exchanges in General  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZkk6ueZt-U           

Arkansas’ Exchange in particular  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I91NM9RgggY         

Subsidy Calculator  http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/                    

Arkansas Exchange  http://www.arhealthconnector.org/                                      

Key Resources

• HealthCare.gov
  

  In late June 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services re-launched its health reform websites for consumers. HealthCare.gov and the Spanish version CuidadoDeSalud.gov are the primary websites for information about the ACA and were designed to help Americans prepare for the changes ahead. The site has many tools to help consumers understand their choices and select the coverage that best suits their needs. In time, there will be links to actual forms. Currently, there is also toll free call center available 24/7(1-800-318-2596 or 1-855-889-4325 TTY/TDD). Operators can provide educational information now, and enrollment assistance after October, in more than 150 different languages.

  Clicking on the Get Insurance tab of the Healthcare.gov site will provide customized information on the Health Insurance Marketplace for individuals and families as well as small business owners. Starting October 1, 2013, the site will actually enable you to complete an application and see various plan options. Prior to that date, information will be provided to help people get ready for the process. Information is customized based on the state in which you live.

  The Facts and Features page has a number of Fact Sheets which provide information on the ACA and specific populations as well as a timeline for all dates relevant to the ACA.

• MedlinePlus.gov from the National Library of Medicine
  

  MedlinePlus has a Health Topics page devoted to all matters relevant to Health Insurance, including many items related to the ACA.

Other Organizations

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
  

  CMS is developing new programs and tools as the result of the ACA. Both Medicare & Medicaid play a large role in the provisions of the ACA. Information on this site may be focused at healthcare providers and/or patients. Additional information can be found on the Affordable Care Act in Action at CMS page.

• Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
  

  The Topic Page on Health Reform form the Kaiser Family Foundation has a lot of information regarding the ACA and health reform in general. Recently added is a 6 minute video “The YouToons Get Ready for Obamacare: Health Insurance Changes Coming Your Way Under the Affordable Care Act.” Facts and figures related to the ACA as well as perspective from a variety of individuals are included on the site.

• Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM)
  

  The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has released several discussion papers related to the ACA including the following:

• Helping Consumers Understand and Use Health Insurance in 2014 (PDF)
• Let’s Ask 4: Questions for Consumers and Providers About Health Insurance (PDF)
• Amplifying the Voice of the Underserved in the Implementation of the Affordable Care Act


• American Public Health Association (APHA)
  

  Since passage of the ACA in March 2010, APHA has been at the forefront of promoting and protecting the critical public health provisions in the ACA. APHA has also been a leader in providing information and public education on the essential work the ACA and its Prevention Fund is doing in states and communities across the country. The Health Reform Resources page on the APHA website has several resources related to the ACA and public health initiatives.

• Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  

  In May 2013, HRSA awarded $150 million in grant awards to 1,159 health centers across the nation so that health centers will be able to hire new staff, train existing staff, and conduct community outreach events and other educational activities. A list of health centers and awards by state can be found through the Outreach and Enrollment Assistance page.

Information provided courtesy of:

Cheryl Rowan, NN/LM SCR Consumer Health Coordinator

713-799-7880 (or 800-338-7657 in AR, LA, NM, OK, TX)

Email: cheryl.rowan@exch.library.tmc.edu

&

National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region

Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

1133 John Freeman Blvd

Houston TX 77030-2809

Phone: 713-799-7880 or 800-338-7657

Email: nnlm-scr@exch.library.tmc.edu

http://nnlm.gov/scr/outreach/aca.html

Page last updated: 4/1/11/2021