A guide to health insurance and the Affordable Care Act for consumers. This book describes the health reform provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including essential health benefits, the health care exchanges, and premium subsidies available for certain individuals. The book also describes the main features of health insurance plans in the U.S., including characteristics of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and typical cost-sharing mechanisms, including deductibles, coinsurance and copayments. Practical examples of the operation of deductibles, coinsurance and copayments are provided.