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Affordable Care Act The affordable care act was passed by congress and then signed into law by the President on March 23, 2010. On June 28th 2012 the Supreme Court rendered a final decision on the law. The affordable care act also known as the health care law offers clear choices for consumers and provides new ways to hold insurance companies accountable. As of September 23, 2012 or soon after, health insurance issuers and group health plans are required to provide you with an easy to understand summary about a health plan’s benefits and coverage. The new regulation is designed to help you better understand and evaluate your health insurance choices. The new forms include: A short plain language Summary of Benefits and Coverage, or SBC. A uniform of terms commonly used in health insurance coverage, such as deductible and copayment. All insurance companies and group health plans must use the same standard SBC form to help you compare health plans. The SBC form also includes details, called coverage examples which are comparison tools that allow you to see what the plan would generally cover in two common medical situations. You have the right to receive the SBC when shopping for or enrolling in coverage or if you request or if you request a copy from your issuer or group health plan. You may also request a copy of the glossary of terms from your health insurance company or group health plan. This provision applies to all health plans, whether you get coverage through your employer or purchase it yourself beginning September 23, 2012. All health plans must provide an SBC to shoppers and enrollees at important points in the enrollment process, such as upon application and at renewal. The coverage examples give a general sense of how a plan would cover the normal delivery of a baby, and services to help a person control type 2 diabetes. If you don’t