Yes I am asking for Help. Yes, because of FB, and because I am sure someone has answered this

[pnwmom]

4. Obamacare does not prevent ANY insurer from selling policies all year outside of the exchange.

However, if you want to buy a policy on the exchange, and therefore to be eligible for any income-based subsidy, then you can only purchase during the open enrollment period that just ended -- or wait till next November's new enrollment period. Otherwise, if there was continuous open-enrollment, it would encourage people not to sign up unless they got sick or had an accident.

HOWEVER, and this is a big however, Obamacare does require all insurance companies, both on and off the exchanges, to accept new customers without regard to preexisting conditions.

Therefore, many of the insurance companies themselves decided it was too risky to sell outside of the open enrollment periods, because they don't want sick people to come flocking to them because they couldn't buy insurance on the exchange. So the insurance companies are the ones that decided they wouldn't sell policies outside of the enrollment periods. The ACA didn't require this as a matter of law.

And, yes, Motown Johnny is right. Anyone eligible for Medicaid can sign up year around. And if you lose a job, gain a family member, move, or have another qualifying life event, you are also eligible to sign up on the Exchanges outside of the usual enrollment period.