As you may know, effective January 1, 2014, every person is required to have health care coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or face financial penalties.

A Health Insurance Marketplace is now available for those seeking healthcare coverage. Individuals who do not have medical insurance through an employer, Medi-Cal, or other state programs, can go online to review optional health care plans and associated costs. Read more common questions and answers below.

The Health Insurance Marketplace makes it easy to find health care plans and to choose the one that fits your budget. Just go to Health Insurance Marketplace at www.healthcare.gov or Covered California at www.coveredca.com

Do I need to worry about the Affordable Care Act?

Only if you are uninsured. If you participate in an employer sponsored health insurance plan or you are receiving health insurance benefits through a government sponsored program, you may not need to worry. Verify the terms of your current health insurance plan.

What will happen to me if I just tune this out?

If you're uninsured in 2014 you will have to pay a small fine on your tax return. In 2014, the fine is $95 for each person in your household or 1 percent of household income, whichever is greater.

How do I figure out how much it will cost to get covered?

In California, you can go to coveredca.com the state’s new health insurance exchange. It’s like a travel website. You can put in your age, location and income anonymously and it will line up plans for you to see. It will also check if you qualify for a subsidy, which means the government might pay part of your premium.

Is this going to be expensive?

Each situation is different and there are certain factors to be considered. For example, those who make more than $46,000 a year you do not qualify for a subsidy from the government. The discounts are reflected in the price listed on the coveredca.com website.

Do I have to do this right away?

You should, this is why: The open enrollment period for all of the plans sold in the new health exchange runs through March 2014. But, if you want your coverage to start on New Year’s Day, you must be enrolled by Dec. 15. So it’s probably best to get rolling on this by mid-November.

Websites, links and other helpful information

The federal Affordable Care Act website at www.healthcare.gov