ACA Keywords

ACA Eligible:
This generally refers to individuals or families who meet the eligibility criteria to enroll in health insurance plans offered through the Health Insurance Marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act.

Affordable Care Act (ACA):
The ACA, also known as Obamacare, is a comprehensive healthcare reform law enacted in the United States in 2010..

Applicable Large Employer (ALE):
ALE refers to an employer that is subject to the employer mandate provisions of the ACA. ALEs are generally those with 50 or more full-time employees or equivalents.

Benefits Eligible:
This term is often used in the context of employment and indicates that an individual qualifies for employee benefits, including health insurance, based on meeting certain criteria set by their employer.

Individual Mandate:
The individual mandate, a key provision of the ACA (although the penalty for non-compliance was reduced to zero in 2019), required most Americans to have health insurance coverage or face a penalty when filing taxes. Individuals had to maintain Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) to comply.

Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC):
MEC refers to the type of health insurance coverage that satisfies the individual mandate requirements. It includes various types of coverage, such as employer-sponsored plans, government-sponsored plans like Medicaid, and certain other qualified plans.

Minimum Value:
Minimum Value (MV) is a term used to describe the level of coverage provided by an employer-sponsored health plan. A plan providing minimum value typically covers at least 60% of the total allowed cost of benefits provided under the plan.