2014-- Do you plan to pay the mandated premiums or

[eilen]

will you pay the fine instead? I ask because so many will not be able to afford the premiums. When I was a kid, we had no insurance because our family was so broke, our country was in a recession and inflation was a big problem. There were 10 kids including my stepfamily. My stepdad brought home meat from work (managed a slaughterhouse). My parents each worked 2 jobs.

[MNBrewer]

1. Unemployed, so... who knows?

What will the premiums be? What will the fine be? Will the Government put me in jail for not being able to pay the fine? At least there I'll have health care.

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. It's a horrible plan and Thanks Obama. No really, thanks a bunch.

[Roselma]

12. Just for the heck of it, find out how much your

federal subsidy might be: http://healthreform.kff.org/SubsidyCalculator.aspx It is amazing how much help people like me will receive for premiums. I would rather have a good job again, one with health insurance, but at least I will be able to afford a plan in my state's pool.

[sharp_stick]

5. I do believe that being unemployed

would likely lower your income level to a point where you do not need to pay the premiums doesn't it? I don't know what the income levels are or what the premiums would be though?

[Roselma]

22. If you're still unemployed, you'll likely

qualify for Medicaid which will have a massive expansion. If you still have income and it is above 133% of federal poverty level (but not all that much more), then you'll get massive subsidies that pay nearly the entire premium.

[Autumn]

2. No I will not

I had to cancel my insurance, I couldn't afford to use it my premiums went so high. I'm hoping to stay healthy enough till I reach medicare age. If not, well hell.

[Roselma]

15. If you have any

qualified pre-existing condition, you might qualify for the current Federal high-risk pool. The premiums were cut 40 percent from what they were in March. My husband's friend's coverage starts in August. In order to qualify, you have to have a pre-existing condition, plus you have to have been without health insurance for six months. The rates are quite low in my state. Here is an example of the rates in my state: http://www.marylandhealthinsuranceplan.state.md.us/mhip/attachments/BRC6599.pdf (page 18 of 36) HOWEVER...in my state, if you are of lower income, you get additional subsidies from the state. Those rates are also on that page. Your state may have a plan similar to this.

[Uben]

4. I'm trying......

...since we are retired, but too young to get Medicare, insurance premiums for a cancer survivor are very high......as in $25K/yr high! They have gone from $700/mo when we retired to over $2100/mo now. Can't get insurance anywhere else, so we can't drop it.
Don't qualify for high-risk pool because we have insurance coverage now. You have to be without it for 6 months to qualify....what friggin idiot wrote that in? They want you to risk financial disaster for 6 months before giving you something you MAY be able to afford. We're thinking about dropping it and putting the money in a healthcare savings account.

[Roselma]

16. In 2014, you will likely qualify for the pool.

If you have a low income, you will get fairly significant premium subsidies. http://healthreform.kff.org/SubsidyCalculator.aspx Depending upon your income, you may pay very little for the same or better insurance than you now have.

[Uben]

29. But I don't have a low income.....

...I am retired and not old enough for SS, but I do have investments that bring in $100K/yr or so. So 25% of my pre-tax income goes to health insurance premiums. If I do get sick, I can be out another $10K/yr for deductibles. I could do $1200-$1400/mo, but $2100/mo is tough and cuts into my discretionary spending pretty deep.

[elocs]

6. You say 2014 and that's 2 1/2 years from now so I don't know.

That's the year I intend to retire when I reach 62. I'm dirt poor now and on BadgerCare Plus healthcare through the state of Wisconsin for low income adults without children, so I don't figure I'll but much better in 2014.

[dbonds]

7. No money, No Job, No insurance.

[flamingdem]

8. What about subsidies, they are VERY substantial from what I understand? anyone? nt

[Roselma]

17. Yes...the subsidies are very substantial. That's why

Republicans want to overturn the law. Here is the subsidy calculator: http://healthreform.kff.org/SubsidyCalculator.aspx

[sharp_stick]

9. How much are the premiums

and at what income levels are you required to pay them?

[Lex]

13. Exactly---what are the premiums? Anyone know for certain?

[Roselma]

18. You will get to select a plan from a pool. Premiums

would be maybe 5% more than today's plans, but would cover more. And if you are not earning a good deal, the subsidies are very substantial.

[Lex]

23. what's "today's plans" mean? and "very substantial"?

Are there numbers available somewhere?

[Roselma]

27. Here...

Here's how mine works out.

In 2014 I will be a single adult, age 60, living in a mid-priced market for insurance, and (if I don't get a job) I plan on having an income of $20K (withdrawals from my 401K).

The projected premium for my policy is $10,172, the maximum I must pay from my income for my premiums is 5.1%, based upon that my max premium payment for the year is $1019, and the federal subsidy for my policy will be $9,152.

Additionally, I must have some money set aside for my out-of-pocket cost. Here is the explanation of that: """ Out-of-Pocket Costs
The maximum out-of-pocket costs the person/family will be responsible for in 2014 (not including the premium) is $2,083. Whether a person or family reaches this maximum level will depend on the amount of health care services they use. Currently, about one in four people use no health care services in any given year. The guaranteed plan for the person/family will have an actuarial value of 87%. This means that for all enrollees in a typical population, the plan will pay for 87% of expenses in total for covered benefits, with enrollees responsible for the rest. Specific provisions like deductibles and copayments may vary from plan to plan, and out-of-pocket costs for any given individual or family will depend on their health care expenses. Preventive services will be covered with no cost sharing required."""

Do yourself a favor, and play around with this calculator and various income scenarios you might expect for you and/or your family.

http://healthreform.kff.org/SubsidyCalculator.aspx

[Lex]

30. Looks like I'd have to pay $173/month instead of the $555/month I pay now.

I'll take it.

[Roselma]

32. In your case then, PPACA would be advantageous.

My women's group talked about this and why Republicans are so hell-bent on trying to overturn it. They simply don't want to see all those subsidy dollars go out of the coffers. They say it is because of the individual mandate, but really it is because the individual mandate means that the government has to help people meet that mandate. I am concerned at this point that the 2012 elections will yield a Republican president and more tea partiers (damn fools were screaming about not wanting this bill when many of them are struggling financially and will be able to get affordable coverage). Then they can completely, legislatively overturn the program. No matter how ticked I get at Obama and the Democrats in Congress, I have to remember that the Republicans would make life so much worse. Once PPACA is fully implemented, participants won't want to see it overturned. Republicans know that. They know that people got comfortable with Medicare and now want to keep it. The same will happen with PPACA. I would rather have had a single payer program or Medicare-for-all, but we've got a start toward universal coverage with this plan.

[Roselma]

10. I plan to pay for the premiums. Unless I find a decent job

with health insurance, I will continue to earn very little. My out of pocket will be very low due to the subsidies, only a fraction of the amount I have to pay to be in my state's high-risk pool right now. http://healthreform.kff.org/SubsidyCalculator.aspx Still, I'd rather have a decent job with health insurance. For those of you earning relatively little, I strongly recommend you check out that calculator. The reason why Republicans HATE the PPACA is that those of us living not all that far above 133% of the federal poverty level to multiples of the poverty level will receive huge subsidies. Therefore, it is a redistribution from those who earn good sums of money to those who do not.

[catabryna]

11. Much can change in a few years

but, my answer at this point in time is "yes".

[eilen]

24. That is a good point. I wonder whether many of the

formulas will change d/t "austerity measures" and all the cuts that are being proposed. With the federal gov. cutting medicaid to the states and the states cutting medicaid -- I don't understand where these funds will come from.

Currently my family has health insurance with my husband's job. However if work slows down appreciatively, we can lose it.

[exelwood]

14. No idea...

...I hit 65 in '12 and I'm still trying to figure out how ACA will affect Medicare. I hear all the scare crap, 538 billion taken from funding, but I'm not sure what the real affects will be.

[Roselma]

20. Only scare tactics. Much of the change will come

from ceasing to pay the extra 14% that Medicare Advantage costs the taxpayers. The prescription drug donut hole slowly gets closed, so I think it turns out to be a tradeoff.

[madinmaryland]

19. Non-issue. The SCOTUS will have thrown the entire law, SS, Medicare, and Medicaid out.

[RebelOne]

21. Fortunately, I won't have to. I have Medicare.

That is, if Medicare is still in existence then.

[bvar22]

25. Even with the subsidy,

which will be given directly to the health Insurance Corporations,
most people won't be able to use the Junk Insurance they are forced to BUY because of High deductible/High Co-Pays.

This is a Ticking Time Bomb that explodes in 2014.
Democrats will be unelectable for a generation.

All the Republicans have to do is sit back and say,
"Yep. We voted against it."

[Roselma]

28. I believe you may be wrong, though I cannot prove it.

The policies in the pool will have minimum levels of coverage. The policy that I would likely obtain for myself (single and 60 at that time) will likely cost over $10K (see my previous posts in this thread). This does not equal a cheap mini-med. I currently pay $8900 for my very nice PPO. So, I would expect that I will get something comparable for $10K in 2014.

[Lex]

31. Looks like I'll pay $173/month instead of $555/month I pay now

plus I'll have more coverage than I do now.

http://healthreform.kff.org/SubsidyCalculator.aspx

[LWolf]

26. I may end up with an hsa this year.

I pay whatever my premium runs over my employers cap. That has resulted in less and less coverage every year, as I have stepped, finally last year, down to the bottom rung offered. That keeps my premium low, which is vital as I've also taken pay cuts every year for the last 3 years. My mortgage, gasoline, utilities, food bills...those haven't gone down. I don't remember what "disposable income" is. I wish I had some "disposable income" to spend on vehicle maintenance, electrical and plumbing repair, and a new roof, or at least the major repairs the roof needs.

My copays and deductibles are now so high that I can't afford to use the insurance; it's there if I end up in the hospital for something, but that's about it. This year, when the final numbers come in for the annual increase/rape from our insurance package, I'll probably end up with an hsa. What my employer would have paid into insurance will go into it, with no out of pocket for me.

I can't use the insurance anyway.