Increasing the number of Americans who have health insurance is a primary objective of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Making it more affordable is another key goal.

To realize these goals, the reform law brings several key components together:

Coverage requirements for individuals
New marketplaces where people can compare and shop for health insurance
Financial help in the form of premium tax credits and subsidies
Under the ACA, health insurance plans now are grouped by cost and value so that consumers can make apples-to-apples comparisons. There are four basic levels of coverage – Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze – that are the same whether a person buys through the state marketplace or through a broker like eIndividualHealth.