The Affordable Care Act marketplace looks different this year. Here’s how you could benefit.

One of the most common criticisms of the Affordable Care Act [ACA] is that it really hasn’t made health insurance affordable for consumers as it promised.

However, because of the American Rescue Plan Act [ARPA], many more people buying health insurance in the marketplace are eligible for new subsidies that significantly drive down costs.

Bill Tuthill, Highmark’s senior vice president of federal markets, has focused almost exclusively on the insurance company’s ACA marketplace since the law’s origins in 2009, and he finds the ARPA exciting.

“For the average consumer, the way that a consumer is experiencing the Affordable Care Act, I would feel very confident saying that the American Rescue Plan Act is the biggest...