The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land now, and there's no denying that it's a bit different than what came before. Here are some common areas people run into trouble with the ACA, including ways to avoid falling into them so you can get affordable insurance.

Enrollment Deadlines

One issue that people have with the ACA is missing the open enrollment deadline. Currently, it goes from November 31^st until January 31^st, 2016. This is definitely the best time to enroll for insurance, especially those companies that are working most closely with the ACA.  The only way you can avoid falling afoul of the missed deadline is if you can get in on Special Enrollment Periods.

These periods are only available for those who have some sort of major life event like having a baby or getting married. You might also qualify if you lose coverage that you had from some other source. You actually get a fee that starts at $695 per adult if you don't sign up

Methods of Signing Up

Another common mistake people make that leads to them paying the fee is procrastination due to not understanding how many different ways there are to sign up. For example, some people are intimidated by going in person to get insurance, and they might put it off past the deadline. It's also possible to sign up on the phone, using the online portal at the main healthcare.gov website, or even by filling out a paper application that you can download from there and then mail.

Pre-Affordable Care Act Plans

If you have a plan that comes from before the Affordable Care Act came into effect, this can often be messy because of the laws. It's recommended that you get rid of it and get a more modern plan if at all possible. The reason for this is that some of these plans have loopholes now that exclude care such as for maternity services.

Automatic Replacement Plans

Plans are being discontinued on a rolling basis, and the laws of particular states are sometimes in constant flux, so it's important to make sure that you pay attention to what's happening to your plan. If it ends because of the ACA, you want to make sure that you don't automatically accept a replacement plan without even realizing it. A lot of them aren't going to be the best deal you can get.

Overall, it only takes a few minutes of preparation to avoid issues with the ACA. You'll be glad you did when you end up with a health plan from a company that works for you. For more information, contact a company like Davies-Barry Ins.