Hello,
I have a question about the healthcare insurance in US.
I have heard that it is tied to your employment and the company provides for it.
So here are a couple of questions:
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Is there no way for an individual to get their own personal insurance and not be dependent on the company?
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What about freelancers, business owners and retirees? Do they forfeit their insurances?
- Yes, however it’s usually a little more expensive to get the same coverage, as the employer pays a part of employee’s insurance costs.
- Forfeit? No, they’ll still need insurance (you get a fine if you’re without insurance for more than 3 out of 12 months (at least, I think that was the case)).
So you get fined if you don’t take one of the slightly more expensive plans if you are a freelanced individual?
Yes, when tax time comes around, and our government makes us file our own taxes (that’s a whole other can of worms) there’s a fine if we don’t get health insurance.
The fine is less than if you are to pay out of pocket for insurance though, so a lot of people decide to eat the fine.
Yes, because you would be without insurance. A person can buy insurance on an exchange and it is similar in price as employer sponsored insurance - you just have to pay all of it. Typically an employer pays for at least some of the insurance if it is a benefit they offer.
It is worth noting that the fine is captured as part of a person’s taxes, so it can be a bit obvuscated. Although in typing this, I vaguely recall a SCOTUS ruling that said the fine wasn’t allowed.
It is actually more wild than all of this even! Each state has additional rules/requirements beyond Obamacare. So what is covered in Washington State may not be covered in Texas.
If you need help sorting through insurance, reach out to me - I’ve done a lot of it as a business owner with two special needs kids.
a little more expensive
This is a gross understatement. Companies usually pay 50% or more of the insurance their employees get.
This is the first time I’ve heard about being fined for not having insurance.
Tv etc has led me to believe if you don’t have insurance you just hope and pray you don’t need to go to a&e. What about homeless people, for example? Is there something in place that issues fines to all the people who don’t have insurance at all? I’m so confused.
On point 2, the individual mandate was repealed in 2018. There’s no federal penalty for not having insurance.
There is a way, and it is required, but it is much more expensive; therefore people usually pay for the least amount of coverage.
If you fall under a certain income threshold you can get free healthcare through medicare/aid.
There is a way, and it is required, but it is much more expensive; therefore people usually pay for the least amount of coverage.
If you fall under a certain income threshold you can get free healthcare through medicare/aid.
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What would be the difference in price? Just a ball park figure if you have it.
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What about freelancers and people that don’t work traditional jobs?
Private health insurance is going to cost you ballpark $400/month, provide no coverage for any preexisting conditions, provide no coverage for your family members (just the enrolling individual), you will typically pay the first $10,000 or so each year before your insurer covers any of the costs, and if you end up needing to use it a lot they will cancel you the next year.
Affordable Care Act coverage will cost about the same but cover preexisting conditions, you can usually cap your own cost for regular checkups to $20, and they won’t cancel you the following year unless the insurance company leaves the marketplace entirely.
Private employer provided coverage varies wildly depending on the size of the employer (because they have more leverage in negotiating with insurance companies) and the employer’s own ideas.
Christ when you hear it laid out like that it sounds like a waking nightmare
There’s a lot of misinformation in this post.
The Affordable Care Act basically eliminated all health plans that provide no coverage for preexisting conditions. All private plans are required to cover that now. ACA plans are private plans.
All health plans come with the option of covering just you, you and your spouse, or you and your whole family. It obviously costs more to cover your whole family, but it’s way less than every person getting their own plan.
Most plans have a deductible - meaning your insurance doesn’t “kick in” until you’ve paid a certain amount. But preventive care and an annual checkup is covered, and your insurance might get you good discounts on a lot of care. Also, you have a choice of paying less per month and having a higher deductible, or paying more per month with a lower deductible. This is exactly the same as auto insurance, home insurance, etc. - those all have a deductible too.
The ballpark $400/month is meaningless if you don’t know the person’s age, gender, and state at a minimum. A 25yo woman living in Idaho might pay $200/month, and a 60yo man living in New York might pay $1,800/month for the same coverage. It really does vary by that much.
Only some states offer free healthcare for people under certain income thresholds without other qualifications such as being disabled or pregnant. There has been progress with states finally accepting the Medicaid expansion, and there are often “low-income healthcare options” available, but A LOT of people are unfortunately still unable to get coverage because they’re too poor.
All states offer Medicaid below the income threshold. Those that have not accepted the expansion payments from the federal government have a much lower income cutoff than those that have accepted it.
From what I know that is not the case. I am by no means an expert (and honestly I’m hopeful you know something I don’t that can finally help me get treated) but I have tried to get it and have never been eligible in the state of Georgia. Again, I’m not an expert, but my doctor even recommended to me (half jokingly) that if I wanted coverage and could not afford Ambetter then I should just have a kid. These are even the requirements listed for Medicaid on the Georgia.gov website.
You may be eligible for Medicaid if your income is low and you match one of the following descriptions:
You think you are pregnant.
You are a child or teenager.
You are age 65 or older.
You are legally blind.
You have a disability.
You need nursing home care.
Even when I had no income at all because of health issues I was only able to be treated via hospital indigent care, not Medicaid.
Edit: In fact, even information regarding the Medicaid expansion seems to line up with my experience as well.
"Under the expansion guidelines, Medicaid eligibility is extended to adults under the age of 65 with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level/FPL (133% plus a 5% income disregard).
Pre-ACA, Medicaid was generally never available to non-disabled adults under age 65 unless they had minor children. And even then, the income caps to qualify as a parent/caretaker were very low."
There is a way, and it is required, but it is much more expensive; therefore people usually pay for the least amount of coverage.
If you fall under a certain income threshold you can get free healthcare through medicare/aid.
- Yes, however it’s usually a little more expensive to get the same coverage, as the employer pays a part of employee’s insurance costs.
- Forfeit? No, they’ll still need insurance (you get a fine if you’re without insurance for more than 3 out of 12 months (at least, I think that was the case)).
