What does Affordable Care Act mean to you?

Addison, IL, April 2, 2013 – Less than a year before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) takes full effect, 57 percent of Americans say they still do not have enough information to understand how it will affect them, according to a recent Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.

“The ACA has broad implications, many of which will provide a real benefit for people, including prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions, providing tax subsidies to help low and moderate income Americans purchase coverage and closing the Medicare drug coverage gap known as the ‘doughnut hole',” says Diane Adduci, community relations specialist with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.

Adduci is presenting a free seminar titled “How the Affordable Care Act Can Benefit You” to inform DuPage residents about what's been implemented since 2010 and what to expect through 2020 as the law rolls out. The seminar will be held at the Addison Public Library, 4 Friendship Plaza, on Tuesday, April 23, from 10 to 11 a.m. To register, email John Kokoris at kokoris@addisonlibrary.org or call 630.543.3617. The seminar is being held as part of the 12th annual Money Smart Week® sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and more than 60 DuPage County partners.

The session will touch on topics important to people of any age, including:

• Different ways to compare and purchase health insurance, including health insurance exchanges

• What you should do to assess your own family's health insurance needs in preparation for 2014, when many of the changes will take effect

• The four levels of protection that will be offered under the ACA

To learn more about the other events in your area, please visit http://www.moneysmartweek.org and click on “Find an Event,” then select Illinois and then DuPage County.

ABOUT MONEY SMART WEEK DUPAGE

During the 12th annual Money Smart Week DuPage taking place April 20-27, 2013, DuPage residents can get money saving advice at more than 45 events. Money Smart Week is a public awareness campaign designed to help consumers better manage their personal finances. This is achieved through the collaboration and coordinated effort of organizations across the county including businesses, financial institutions, schools, libraries, not-for-profits, government agencies and the media. These groups come together once a year to stress the importance of financial literacy, inform consumers about where they can get help and provide free educational seminars and activities. For more information, visit moneysmartweek.org and click on Find an Event, then on Illinois and select DuPage County.