Here is a quick list of tips for getting the best health plan. No matter how you shop, this list will ensure you don’t over or under-buy health insurance. NOTE: Finding the best health plan for you and your family depends on your family size, income, needs, region, and more. The best plan for one… Read More
Having Health Insurance means you are covered in an emergency. Not getting coverage could result in big fees for those who wait until taxes are due. Obtaining and maintaining health insurance isn’t just about avoiding a fee, it’s about taking responsibility for your health, knowing you have coverage when you need it, and avoiding the devastating… Read More
Let’s take a look at factors that affect health insurance costs for premiums and cost sharing under ObamaCare, including Marketplace subsidies and Medicaid. ObamaCare helps ensure fair health insurance premiums (Sec. 2701), helps curb premium growth, and provides Tax Credits to lower premium costs. The ACA also includes measures to reduce out-of-pocket spending and curb national… Read More
With ObamaCare deadlines for open enrollment approaching, it’s important to think about health insurance policy periods. Here are some key facts to help you understand why getting covered during open enrollment isn’t just about avoiding the fee, it’s about value. Your health insurance deductible (the amount you have to pay for covered in-network services before coinsurance kicks in)… Read More
What is a Health Insurance Premium? Your health insurance premium is the amount paid to an insurer, typically per month, for a health plan. Tax Credits are available to lower monthly premiums through the Health Insurance Marketplace. If you have coverage through work, your employer typically pays part of your premium. Let’s look a little more… Read More
December 15th is the last day to get a health plan that starts by January 1st. The 15th is also the last day to verify your plan and information for the 1st. Visit HealthCare.Gov or find your state’s Health Insurance Marketplace and enroll in a plan by December 15th. This general rule applies for private… Read More
There are several reasons you may have to file taxes under ObamaCare (the Affordable Care Act). Learn how to file your ObamaCare taxes in 2019 and beyond. This section includes tips on: how to make a Shared Responsibility Payment for not having coverage, how to report health coverage known as Minimum Essential Coverage, how to… Read More
Learn how to compare health plans to get the best deals on health insurance and health care. Compare your health needs with your plans costs and coverage, to find an affordable plan with benefits that are designed to cover you. No matter how you shop, and boy are there a lot of different options under… Read More
If you have a marketplace plan from last year, or just want coverage that will start by Jan 1, 2015, you’ll need to go to HealthCare.Gov by Dec 15, 2014. It’s open enrollment and that means the Health Insurance Marketplace is open for business. Here are your open enrollment options. • If you have a plan… Read More
President Obama made his third appearance on the Colbert Report to present a Colbert style monologue on ObamaCare. Watch Obama on Colbert below and let us know what you think in comments section. While the above video is fairly funny to watch, it makes a few really important points. They are: The website has been running… Read More
Some ObamaCare plans automatically renew Jan 1st, others don’t. Ensure your plan and cost assistance before Dec 15, to avoid problems.
A November 2014 Kaiser Poll shows the majority of uninsured are unaware of open enrollment date, despite saying health insurance was important and needed. Let’s take a look at what the Kaiser Health Tracking Poll shows about the uninsured going into open enrollment 2015. Kaiser Health Tracking Poll 2014 Summary Despite the fact that the… Read More
Shopping for Health Insurance Outside of the Health Insurance Marketplace If you make too much for cost assistance or want to see your private health plan options, you may want to shop outside of the Health Insurance Marketplace. There are three main ways to get covered in the individual and family market under the Affordable… Read More
By the end of November everyone enrolled in a Health Insurance Marketplace plan should get two notices about changing and renewing marketplace plans during open enrollment 2015. One notice will be from your insurer and the other will be from your state’s marketplace. These notifications will help you to understand what is new for open enrollment 2015… Read More
What You Need to Know About ObamaCare (the Affordable Care Act) in 2015 There aren’t a lot of changes for ObamaCare in 2015. Let’s review ObamaCare’s 2015 changes and what you need to know to stay covered and save money. We will review the enrollment process for 2015, what steps you should take to ensure… Read More
Everything You Need to Know About Changing Plans During ObamaCare’s Open Enrollment Peroid Each Year The only time you can change health plans under ObamaCare is during open enrollment or a special enrollment period. Verify info or change plans by Dec 15 to ensure you have the right plan and cost assistance starting January 1st. Although you can’t change plans… Read More
A new CDC report shows the largest decrease in the uninsured rate was recorded among young adults age 19-25, from 19.8 percent in 2013 to 14.9 percent in first quarter of 2014. Was it the the expansion of Medicaid, woodworking effects, under 26 young adults staying on their parents plan, subsidies that 82% of uninsured… Read More
ObamaCare affects premium rates, that much is for sure, but whether or not they are rising or falling seems to depend upon your news source. Sure, that was meant as a back-handed dig on those super useful biased news outlets, but there is actually some good truth in the idea that rate fluctuations are a… Read More
We Dispel This Propaganda Video With the Facts Just had this silly(?) ObamaCare propaganda video posted in the comments section. Let’s set the facts straight on the tastefully named “Obamacare culling the heard video”… not because it is super popular, but because it encapsulates the what-if negative conspiracy theory view on the law that continues… Read More
How Medicare Works Medicare, or Original Medicare, is a federal program offered to seniors when they reach 65, people with certain disabilities, and those with ESRD. Original Medicare includes Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance). Supplemental Medicare options are also offered to “fill the gaps” in Medicare coverage. Supplemental Medicare… Read More
What is Medigap Insurance? Medigap, or Medicare Supplement Insurance, “covers the gap” between Original Medicare and your medical costs. Supplemental Medigap plans are sold by private companies and make sense for seniors who have costs that aren’t covered under traditional Medicare Part A and B. If Original Medicare isn’t covering your medical needs, you’ll want… Read More
What is Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Medicare Part D, or Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage, covers the gap between your prescription drug needs and Original Medicare. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) includes basic drug coverage. However, many Medicare beneficiaries have prescription drug needs outside of what parts A and B covers. Medicare Part D is… Read More
What is Medicare Advantage? Medicare Advantage, or Medicare Part C, is a health plan that offers Medicare Part A, B, and typically D benefits through a private company. Medicare Advantage offers everything Original Medicare Part A and Part B offers but with better benefits and coverage options. Typically however this comes at a higher upfront… Read More
How “Washington Healthplanfinder”, The Official Washington Website for Health Insurance, Works The Washington Health Insurance Exchange, Washington Healthplanfinder, is the official Washington State marketplace for health insurance under Obamacare. You can use Washington Healthplanfinder to apply for cost-assistance, compare prices of plans, change plans and enroll in a plan that best suits you, your family… Read More
How “DC Health Link”, The Official Washington, D.C. Website for Health Insurance, Works The Washington, D.C. Health Insurance Exchange, DC Health Link, is the official Washington, D.C. State marketplace for health insurance under Obamacare. You can use DC Health Link to apply for cost-assistance, compare prices of plans, change plans, and enroll in a plan… Read More