AUGUSTA — Area residents will have a chance to ask questions about the Affordable Care Act and get answers from the head of the Maine Bureau of Insurance and a local legislator at a public information session on Thursday.

Rep. Matthew Pouliot, R-Augusta, is hosting the session about the federal health care reform law with the Maine Bureau of Insurance from 6-8:30 p.m. at Augusta City Hall.

Many of the provisions included in the law enacted in 2009, including health care plans from the new federal health insurance exchanges, go into effect at the start of next year.

People will be able to purchase private health insurance from marketplaces starting in October.

Individuals and households with income between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level will be eligible for federal subsidies to cover some or all of the cost of the plans purchased on the exchange. Tax credits will also be available to defray some of the cost.

Pouliot said in a news release about the event that he organized it because he’s been getting a lot of questions from constituents about health insurance, with major parts of the federal law going into effect soon.

“If you are currently uninsured or you are finding your current insurance to be unaffordable, I strongly encourage you to attend,” he said in the release.

Eric Cioppa, commissioner of the Maine Bureau of Insurance, will be providing information about the federal law and answering questions from the public.

In August, the Maine Bureau of Insurance held public information sessions about the Affordable Care Act in Portland, Auburn, Bangor and Presque Isle.

The Bureau also announced it will hold another session in Auburn at 5 p.m. Sept. 17 at Saint Dominic Academy.