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You can apply for coverage through Connect for Health Colorado’s Marketplace and for financial assistance in any of the following ways:

In late October, millions of Americans will receive two notices. One letter will be from their insurance companies informing them of their monthly premium for the year. Another notice, sent by the federal government, will declare the most recent amount of any subsidies paid in that year and indicate whether or not they will be re-enrolled in your current plan.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, has garnered a lot of debate since its implementation in 2010. Although it has created a minimum level of coverage for many insured Americans’ healthcare benefits, it has also created some costly tax penalties for those who don’t participate. Even you may have a pros and cons list from your experience with the Affordable Care Act.

Medicare is divided into four main parts: A, B, C, and D. The first two parts, A and B, are sometimes called “Original Medicare.” Part C, also known as “Medicare Advantage” is a private insurance plan that provides similar benefits as Original Medicare. The final piece of Medicare, Part D, is a prescription drug plan.

Insurance companies price Medigap policies based on three main things: your plan choice, your personal factors, and their pricing systems. Because of these factors, the monthly cost of a Medicare Supplement insurance plan can vary widely.

One thing that will greatly affect the cost of your coverage is which plan you choose to buy. The 10 standardized plans vary greatly in their coverage and benefits, and so do their prices.

You have guaranteed access to a Medicare Supplement insurance policy if you buy during your open enrollment period, even if you have a pre-existing condition. It’s possible to get a policy after the enrollment period, but it’s not guaranteed.

High-deductible Medicare Supplement insurance plans require you to pay for a certain amount of Medicare-covered costs on your own each year before the policy provides any coverage.

The only high-deductible Medigap plan is high-deductible Plan F. The high-deductible option is usually cheaper than the standard Plan F, but it requires higher out-of-pocket costs.

Obamacare is not expected to negatively affect Medicare Supplement insurance, but it will have both positive and negative effects on the Medicare program.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly referred to as Obamacare, was passed in 2010 to remodel health care in the United States. Although it primarily changed private insurance, it did make some changes to the Medicare program.

Medicare Supplement insurance does not include dental and vision coverage.

According to Medicare.gov, “Medigap policies generally don’t cover long-term care, vision or dental care, hearing aids, eyeglasses, or private-duty nursing.”

Unlike other Medigap plans that provide 100% coverage for all benefits, cost-sharing plans provide only partial coverage for certain benefits. There are two cost-sharing plans currently available: Plan K and Plan L. Both plans include the same benefits, but the levels of cost-sharing differ.

The most popular Medicare Supplement plans are Plans F, C, and G, according to 2012 statistics from America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Plan F is by far the most popular Medigap plan, according to the AHIP data, accounting for over half of all Medigap policies in 2012.

Medicare Supplement insurance has a 6-month open enrollment period (OEP). It begins as soon as you are both 1) 65 years old and 2) enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B (Original Medicare).

A guaranteed issue right allows you to purchase a Medicare Supplement insurance policy from any company without regard to your health condition. You only have a guaranteed issue right in certain situations.

According to Medicare.gov, when you have a guaranteed issue right, insurance companies are lawfully required to sell or offer you a Medicare Supplement insurance policy even if you have pre-existing conditions. In these situations, insurers cannot charge you more because of past or present health problems.