What is the Affordable Care Act?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed by Congress and signed into law on March 23, 2010.  On October 1, 2013, open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace began for coverage starting as early as January 2014.  The initial open enrollment period closed March 31, 2014.

A brief outline of each Title (or section), as well as the full text of the ACA can be found at The Affordable Care Act, Section by Section from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Benefits Eligible UT Arlington Employees

Benefits eligible UT employees who decide to shop for medical insurance in the Marketplace should know that full-time employees and all retirees pay no monthly premium for the member-only portion of the UT SELECT Medical plan.

In addition, employees and retirees who are currently covered under UT SELECT Medical and drop that coverage to purchase health insurance coverage through the Marketplace, will no longer be eligible for employer contributions (premium sharing) toward the UT SELECT Medical plan while covered through the Marketplace.

UT SELECT offers:

• 100% coverage for Preventive Health Care
• 100% coverage for outpatient Lab work and X-rays
• Prescription coverage through Express Scripts
• Free $25 gift card when completing the LivingWell Health Assessment and receiving an annual preventive exam during the plan year (see details)
• Free Health and Wellness Support through LivingWell

Additional Resources

• UT System Summary of Benefits Coverage

A full summary of UT SELECT coverage through BlueCross BlueShield of Texas

• New Health Insurance Marketplace Coverage Options and Your Health Coverage

This notice is specific to UT Arlington employees to provide information about your current health insurance benefits provided by The University of Texas System for benefits eligible employees.

• HealthCare.gov

HealthCare.gov and the Spanish version CuidadoDeSalud.gov are the primary websites for information about the ACA.  A toll free center is available 24/7 at 1-800-318-2596 or 1-

855-889-4325 TTY/TDD.  Operators can provide educational information and enrollment assistance in more than 150 different languages.

The Get Insurance tab of the HealthCare.gov site provides customized information on the Health Insurance Marketplace for individuals and families as well as small business owners.  The site enables visitors to complete an application and see various plan options.

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

CMS has been designated as the HHS division responsible for the rollout of the ACA.

The site contains publications and articles on the Health Insurance Marketplace including application forms for individuals and families.  Additional information about the role of navigators and organizations with may serve as Champions for Coverage is available.

• US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

HealthCare.gov is a website created and maintained by HHS, but additional resources can also be found on the Affordable Care Act section of the website.