<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620154881642.png" alt="David Condos / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>David Condos / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Even if you already bought a health plan this year, you may qualify for a steeper discount</h2>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-05-04/coronavirus-stimulus-plan-means-many-more-kansans-can-get-free-or-cheap-health-insurance">Kansas News Service</a>Tens of thousands of uninsured Kansans qualify for enough government subsidies to get free health insurance.That
 was the case even before the passage of Congress' latest stimulus 
package in March, but now those benefits are available to many more 
people.For some, the potential savings for 2021 and 2022 health plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace are dramatic.The Kaiser Family Foundation says a 60-year-old Kansan earning $55,000 a year can save <a href="https://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/impact-of-key-provisions-of-the-american-rescue-plan-act-of-2021-covid-19-relief-on-marketplace-premiums/" target="_blank">more than $7,000</a> on this year’s premiums.Most people who already bought plans this year on the ACA,
 or Obamacare, marketplace can lower their monthly premium or zero it 
out as part of a two-year expansion of subsidies included in the <a href="https://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/how-the-american-rescue-plan-will-improve-affordability-of-private-health-coverage/" target="_blank">American Rescue Plan</a> stimulus package.Even some people who earn more than four times the federal poverty rate will now get financial help.Here are two quick and easy ways to check whether the stimulus deal affects premiums for you:<ul>
 <li>Kaiser Family Foundation’s <a href="https://www.kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/" target="_blank">subsidy calculator</a></li><li>Healthcare.gov’s <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/see-plans/#/" target="_blank">estimate tool</a></li>
 </ul>If
 you already bought your 2021 coverage but now qualify for steeper 
discounts, the change won’t kick in automatically mid-year. You have to 
reapply through healthcare.gov. The deadline to <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/" target="_blank">apply</a> is mid-August.Or you can get the savings <a href="https://www.healthinsurance.org/blog/how-the-american-rescue-plan-act-would-boost-marketplace-premium-subsidies/" target="_blank">retroactively</a> next spring when you file your taxes.If
 you bought your health plan this year without going through the federal
 marketplace, you’ll have to go through the marketplace now to get the 
subsidies.Normally, the annual window for buying or switching 
insurance plans on the federal exchange happens each fall. But people 
get a second chance this year because of the pandemic.The new 
window for 2021 coverage closes Aug. 15. The window for buying 2022 
plans opens a few months later, and the expanded subsidies will count 
toward those, too.Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer 
health for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter 
@celia_LJ or email her at celia@kcur.org.

COVID stimulus plan means free or cheap health insurance for many more