So with my new job I'm able to get health care, however, it's not compliant with Obamacare meaning we may still be fined over $600 per adult at the end of the year. The only way to avoid this is to pay up for more expensive insurance that merely costs more but provides zero additional coverage. The difference in cost is right about the same amount as the fine.
In other words, I'm able to ensure myself medical coverage, but that's not good enough for the government who simply wants to steal an additional $600 per year per adult from my household for no reason whatsoever, It's called the Affordable Health Care Act, but for the most part the act has only increased hardships. Sure it grants subsidies to help pay for extremely expensive personal plans if you make close to the poverty level, but those subsidies don't even apply to work sponsored insurance plans. For those making well over the poverty level, there's absolutely nothing affordable about it.
Quote:So with my new job I'm able to get health care, however, it's not compliant with Obamacare meaning we may still be fined over $600 per adult at the end of the year. The only way to avoid this is to pay up for more expensive insurance that merely costs more but provides zero additional coverage. The difference in cost is right about the same amount as the fine.
In other words, I'm able to ensure myself medical coverage, but that's not good enough for the government who simply wants to steal an additional $600 per year per adult from my household for no reason whatsoever, It's called the Affordable Health Care Act, but for the most part the act has only increased hardships. Sure it grants subsidies to help pay for extremely expensive personal plans if you make close to the poverty level, but those subsidies don't even apply to work sponsored insurance plans. For those making well over the poverty level, there's absolutely nothing affordable about it.
What the hell? My wife and I are well north of the poverty level, on an Obamacare plan that's roughly equivalent to what we'd get in the private sector (I'm a 1099 contractor and she's waiting to see what I do before pursuing a job here), and we're paying $550/mo between the two of us, before subsidy.
Check the rules on this--I've been out of the ACA game since this past spring--but I believe that if your employer's health plan is
not ACA-compliant, you're free to use the exchange with subsidies. If you call the ACA hotline, they're actually pretty good at answering questions in my experience, and the wait times aren't awful if you avoid calling at 8:00 AM, 7:00 PM, etc., the crazy times.
I will admit that FBT was right on this one. Obamacare is screwed. It addressed a real problem, yeah, but it did so with an unsustainable model that was too butchered by compromises to last.
Insurance prices are increasing as a result. That's for certain.
Quote:So with my new job I'm able to get health care, however, it's not compliant with Obamacare meaning we may still be fined over $600 per adult at the end of the year. The only way to avoid this is to pay up for more expensive insurance that merely costs more but provides zero additional coverage. The difference in cost is right about the same amount as the fine.
In other words, I'm able to ensure myself medical coverage, but that's not good enough for the government who simply wants to steal an additional $600 per year per adult from my household for no reason whatsoever, It's called the Affordable Health Care Act, but for the most part the act has only increased hardships. Sure it grants subsidies to help pay for extremely expensive personal plans if you make close to the poverty level, but those subsidies don't even apply to work sponsored insurance plans. For those making well over the poverty level, there's absolutely nothing affordable about it.
What kind of coverage is it? It just has to be considered "min essential coverage" to avoid penalty.
Quote:I've called them. The best private Obamacare plan in Washington state for the both of us was Kaiser at about $750 per month. When I was unemployed I was able to get $325 in subsidies to help pay this, but with my new job at $15 per hour I no long qualify for any subsidies. My new job, though, has better coverage where both of us can see virtually any doctors for $250 per month, but it's not Obamacare compliant meaning we might be fined over $1200 at the end of the year. They have an option to make it Obamacare compliant, but it means paying an additional $50 per month for zero additional coverage. That's just wrong on so many levels. In other words, the government simply wants to steal my money one way or the other.
You don't qualify for subsidies at $15/hr.? Forgive me for asking and ignore if you want to, but does your wife also work? Unless the poverty line in WA is $3.75/hr., $15/hr. is well within subsidy limits.
That whole situation stinks to me. Is it the Exchange that can "make your plan compliant" for $50/month, or the insurance provider? If it's the latter, I'd open a complaint with the Exchange, complete with documentation stating that the exact same coverage can be "made" ACA-compliant for $50 additional per month. That sounds like a scam to me, the sort of scam that ACA compliance agencies love to hear about.
I just find it hard to believe that any doctor is willing to accept that insurance you talked about at first, but it's not ACA MEC.
Here is a list of what is NOT considered MEC:
- Coverage consisting solely of excepted benefits, such as:
<ul><li>Stand-alone dental and vision insurance
- Accident or disability income insurance
- Workers' compensation insurance
</li>
[*]Medicaid providing only family planning services*
[*]Medicaid providing only tuberculosis-related services*
[*]Medicaid providing only coverage limited to treatment of emergency medical conditions*
[*]Pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage*
[*]Medicaid coverage for the medically needy*
[*]Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration projects*
[*]Space available TRICARE coverage provided under chapter 55 of title 10 of the United States Code for individuals who are not eligible for TRICARE coverage for health services from private sector providers*
[*]Line of duty TRICARE coverage provided under chapter 55 of title 10 of the United States Code*
[*]
AmeriCorps coverage for those serving in programs receiving AmeriCorps State and National grants
[*]AfterCorps coverage purchased by returning members of the PeaceCorps
</ul><p style="font-size:13px;font-family
ans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);">*Medicaid programs that provide limited benefits generally don’t qualify as minimum essential coverage. However, HHS will provide a hardship exemption to individuals with certain types of limited-benefit Medicaid coverage.
Quote:Precisely, although it turns out the "minimum essential" has nothing to do with the coverage you get but is merely about how much you're paying. I have to pay more with nothing in return for it to be "minimum essential coverage."
This honestly sounds like a scam by whoever is offering the coverage. Maybe they are saying it's NOT Obama compliant because they wont file the necessary forms (form 1095) unless you pay extra. Which is ridiculous. I would not go quietly on this one if I were you. Find out exactly why the default coverage isn't ACA MEC.
Would you mind telling us what health insurance company this is?
Sounds like they're trying to rip you off, because I'm pretty sure minimum coverage has nothing to do with what you pay, and completely to do with what is covered.
I'll even give you the phone number of their insurance agency telling me this...
They call themselves Essentaial Staff Care and they work with temporary agencies...
1-866-798-0803
Please do call them to see if they tell you anything different.
Personally I just want to know that since I'm able to provide myself with coverage that I won't be fined at the end of the year, and I don't want to have to pay more while getting nothing.
The compliant coverage is only $50 per month but it basically only covers visits and prescriptions. The $250 coverage is full coverage. I can add the $50 coverage to make it compliant, but what it covers is already covered by the $250 non-compliant coverage.
Quote:The exchange said that unless the employer goes through them, which they don't, they can't help me. The insurance provider is telling me that I have to pay the extra $50 to make the plan compliant. I asked them what additional coverage do I get for that extra money, and they told me I get nothing.
Quote:The compliant coverage is only $50 per month but it basically only covers visits and prescriptions. The $250 coverage is full coverage. I can add the $50 coverage to make it compliant, but what it covers is already covered by the $250 non-compliant coverage.
That's rather illegal, last time I checked. I'd report the company for running a scam and see if the Exchange will give you an exemption while your provider gets fined.
Quote:My wife makes $1900 per month as a part-time teacher.
The exchange said that unless the employer goes through them, which they don't, they can't help me. The insurance provider is telling me that I have to pay the extra $50 to make the plan compliant. I asked them what additional coverage do I get for that extra money, and they told me I get nothing.
If I were you I would probably not buy the coverage based on your income. At the end of the year you will have a penalty (unless there is another way you can get MEC), but for somebody like you a penalty will actually just result in a smaller return assuming you are withholding federal tax on your pay check.
You could also try to apply for an exemption. There is a long list of reasons for being exempt. Some can be claimed on your 1040, others through the marketplace.
It sounds to me like you have Fixed-Benefit Medical Indemnity Insurance.
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;">Fixed benefit health insurance, or indemnity insurance, is not ObamaCare compliant and is not the same as major medical plans sold on the marketplace. Fixed benefit plans are sold by private companies and pay a specific amount each time you see a doctor or go to a hospital. The ACA is trying to take these plans off the market as they do not meet the standards of minimum essential coverage.
<p class="" style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;font-size:16px;">Fixed benefit plans were popular in the past due to their cheap overhead, however a fixed benefit plan is a big gamble as it could leave you with major medical costs out of pocket in a worse case scenario. Still many are choosing fixed benefit plans to supplement their current plans or are holding on-top their plans due to grandfathered status obtained before the law went into place.
They offer the Obama compliant plan too however, which is 300$ per month, and for Jags02 that is considered "affordable", making him ineligible for the subsidy.
I would also check the deductible on this employer plan and see if you can get something similar privately for a similar price. Probably not though. Prices are high.
I would not buy the 250$ plan. That is not going to do you any favors. It's either buy the 300$ plan, reject the plan and go without insurance, or reject the plan and pursue your own plan.