...we want to provide you with tools to help you stay healthy, manage chronic conditions, and be informed about changes in healthcare. Take care of what is most important – your health.

Through TogetherRxAccess.com, we also connect you with resources about the Health Insurance Marketplace, the Affordable Care Act, individual pharmaceutical company patient assistance programs, and other patient assistance resources.

Together Rx Access compiled a list of the top five frequently asked questions about the Marketplace to help you make informed decisions about your health coverage needs.

All health plans are provided by private insurance companies, but depending on where you live, the Health Insurance Marketplace may be run by your state or the federal government. If your state has its own marketplace, you will enroll through your state’s marketplace website.

To learn what marketplace is available in your state, visit HealthCare.gov.

In four easy steps, you can enroll in a health plan that is best for you and your family. At HealthCare.gov, or through your state’s marketplace, you will:

1. Create an account – provide basic information and set-up an account with a password.
2. Apply − enter information about you and your family, such as household size and income.
3. Pick a plan – review all of the plans available to you and compare them side-by-side.
4. Enroll – select the plan that meets your needs. Coverage starts as early as January 1, 2014.

In your local community, trained individuals (called “navigators”) are available to answer your questions about coverage options and to help you enroll in a health plan. To find navigators in your neighborhood, visit https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/. You can also call the Marketplace Help Center at 1-800-318-2596. Representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Another option is the online chat at HealthCare.gov.

As part of the Affordable Care Act, you cannot be denied health insurance if you have a pre-existing condition. Insurance companies cannot charge you more for coverage or refuse treatment because of your condition. The only EXCEPTIONS are “grandfathered” plans that individuals may have purchased themselves (not through an employer) before the Affordable Care Act was signed on March 23, 2010. Your insurance company should inform you if you have a “grandfathered” plan.

If you enroll in a health plan and make your first premium payment before December 15, 2013, your coverage begins January 1, 2014. If you enroll any other time during the open enrollment period (October 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014), your coverage begins after February 1, 2014.

Visit HealthCare.gov for more information about enrollment and coverage dates.