Need insurance? Here’s what you should do:

Step 1. Check with your employer to see if health insurance will be offered. If it will, find out how much your share of the monthly premium will be. If it’s unaffordable (more than 9.5 percent of family income to insure you), poor quality or doesn’t exist at all, you might be able to get a subsidy to buy insurance from the upcoming marketplace.

Step 2. Go to Healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 (for individuals) or 1-800-706-7893 (for small businesses) to find out more about the marketplace. Online you can also plug in your age, employer coverage information, income and other information and find out what material you should gather now to be ready to sign up for coverage on Oct. 1.

Step 3. After Oct. 1,  contact the marketplace or a local federally designated “navigator,” certified application counselor or other expert approved to help you learn about your options within the marketplace. Some are listed in our info box. All will be listed at Healthcare.gov and through Maine Health Access Foundation’s coming site www.enroll207.org.

Step 4. Sign up for marketplace insurance through Healthcare.gov, over the phone at the toll-free numbers listed above or with one of those approved experts.

Step 5. Use your new insurance starting Jan. 1, 2014.

— Lindsay Tice, Sun Journal Staff Writer

You have lots of questions about the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. The Sun Journal and the Bangor Daily News want to help you understand what the ACA will mean for you and your family.

• Glossary: The lingo you need to know.

• Make it happen: Need insurance? Here’s what you should do

• Timeline: How health care coverage has evolved.

• FAQs: Frequently asked questions and helpful answers

• Where to get assistance and info : There are more sources of information and help

There is more information and coverage in our Affordable Care Act 101 special section.