Aca open enrollment for 2021 runs until dec. 15 for most

The ACA provides two types of financial assistance: tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies. Eligibility is based on income, and historically more than 80 percent of people who get their

insurance through the marketplaces are eligible for subsidies. For 2021, you are likely eligible for a tax credit for premiums if your annual income falls within these ranges: $12,760 to

$51,040 for an individual and $26,200 to $104,800 for a family of four. You can also qualify for a cost-sharing subsidy if you sign up for a mid-tier silver plan and your income falls within

these ranges: $12,760 to $31,900 for individuals and $26,200 to $65,500 for a family of four. (Marketplace plans come in four tiers — bronze, silver, gold and platinum — with the bronze

tier having the lowest premiums but the highest cost-sharing for care, and the platinum tier having the highest premiums but the lowest cost-sharing.) Healthcare.gov has a calculator to help

you figure out if you qualify for a tax credit and/or cost-sharing subsidy and the amount you may qualify for. HOW TO GET HELP The ACA hotline, 800-318-2596, is available seven days a week,

24 hours a day. The law also provides helpers, called navigators, for people who need assistance enrolling. But funding for these navigators has declined in recent years. Not only are there

fewer navigators, Pollitz says, but because of the pandemic most assistance is being provided online — not in person — and that is taking longer, so fewer people can get help.

"Don't wait to the last minute to review your coverage or enroll,” Pollitz advises. “There's a shortage of navigators, and the survey we did at the end of the last open

enrollment period found that nearly 5 million people tried to get help but couldn't.”