What Does Grandfathered Health Insurance Mean? 
Grandfather status applies to health insurance plans that have been in force before ACA -LRB- Obamacare -RRB- was passed in March of 2010 . In order to maintain Grandfather status , you must keep the same plan and have no changes made to it since . Any change in deductible or plan type would cause you to loose grandfather status . Is it important ? It depends on what your view of the future is . One side believes grandfather status is important and should be kept if possible . When the health care exchanges open in 2014 , those who are grandfathered will not be required to carry all the new required coverages ACA mandates . Others feel grandfather status is a gimmick and people will eventually lose it . After March of 2010 , no one else could get grandfather status . So that group of people -LRB- insurance policies -RRB- has no new people coming into it to help offset the increase claims that come with age . That grandfathered group of policies will start to see rates increase as claims increase . The healthy will likely drop grandfather status and go to the exchanges . This leaves even fewer health people to offset those who are sick on the grandfather pool , thus cause additional rate increases until everyone on grandfather status drops that coverage . How long that will take is up to debate and will like play out over time . Will it take 3 years or 6 year or more ; no one knows . If you are unsure if you have grandfather status , call your health insurance company and ask . They will be able to tell you . 