What is Obamacare?

The United States is midway through its first year of health benefits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was passed by Congress in March 2010 to reform the nation's health care system. The Affordable Care Act is the short name for the official act, called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and often referred to in the media as Obamacare.

There has been much confusion about the ACA and Obamacare since those terms joined our national lexicon. Late night show host Jimmy Kimmel illustrated that last fall when he interviewed people "man on the street" style about how they felt about the ACA versus Obamacare.

Regardless what your personal opinion is about the ACA, the act is complex and far-reaching. It seems no matter how much you know about the ACA, there is always more to learn. Journalist Sarah Kliff with Vox, an online media outlet, posted an interactive overview of all things ACA from a national perspective.

Take a look at Everything you need to know about Obamacare.

Other resources:

• People cannot currently enroll in health care unless they qualify for a special enrollment. Open enrollment starts on Nov. 15.
• You can access Washington's health exchange at www.wahealthplanfinder.org.