Can I Qualify for ObamaCare While I’m Unemployed?
I am losing my coverage due to losing my Job as of February 28th. Is it possible for me to qualify for Obamacare while I am unemployed? If so how much and how do I go about getting it?
Answer
If you become unemployed, and lose coverage, you can enroll in an ObamaCare plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace. If it is outside of open enrollment, you'll enroll using a special enrollment period.
Marketplace coverage cost assistance is based on income. If you project you won't have income, due to being unemployed, you may qualify for Medicaid instead.
There are lots of options for those in-between jobs. Make sure to apply before you lose coverage if you can, that will help you avoid a gap in coverage.
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Please tell me how I am better off now with this stupid plan then I was before. I feel like the American people were snookered into this really bad deal! Everybody I know hates it!!!!!!!!!!
It’s not an easy answer. If you seriously want to know the answer:
1. The ACA curbs costs in the long-term.
2. A subsection of the sick and poor have coverage for the first time.
3. We are forced to talk about healthcare, it’s more or less a ticking time bomb of debt so we needed to have this conversation yesterday.
I am unemployed due to all other members of household are disabled. there are 4 of us, two of which I can not claim, but take care of. So the two of us does not have income and we dont qualify for medicaid, so how do I get insurance?
This is a tricky situation. The primary choices would be Medicare or Medicaid. Assuming you have applied to both and do not qualify, we can look at Social Security income. That can count as income for Marketplace tax credits. If you don’t have that it gets more tricky. Now we would need to look into local assistance programs and charities. Some community health centers will offer some types of care without coverage, and public hospitals will care for you in an emergency. If you can get money together you want to use on insurance, anyone has the right to buy coverage (although this would likely not be practical).
So, i have checked all of the above and do not qualify for anything, so when i do taxes next year my husband and I have to pay a penalty? What about this affordable care act is good. We have had it for two years and even with the subsity I paid more medical than I would have without it. Is there anyone near romney WV who we could speak with personally?
If you have had a plan for two years why would you be paying a penalty?
The reason health care went up is because of the people that have coverage that cannot pay for it.
It’s a type of socialism where people with money pay for those that don’t so that everyone has insurance.
It would be better to do away with insurance and use the money to pay for medical care. We are hung up on insurance for everything. The companies that provide it get the money.
Let get Universal Health Care for everyone. That way all our costs go down. And we don’t have to pay money to the Big Corporate Insurance Companies – who are making billions off of us. It is disgusting that we are the only industrialized nation in the world to not have this. It is working very well in every major country that has it. Let’s get our congress critters attention and move forward!
I’ve been unemployed for 3yrs now because of health reasons I’ve applied for disability do i have to pay fir obama care? I tried to get medicade and medicare but i dont qualify for it because i dont get disability pay here in georgia so how am i suppose to get insurance through obama care? If im not working and cant worked
Try your state Medicaid department and learn more here: https://obamacarefacts.com/obamacares-medicaid-expansion/
I don’t have any income. Can I qualify for medicaid
It depends on your state. You should call your state Medicaid department and read this information: https://obamacarefacts.com/obamacares-medicaid-expansion/
I have been starting a business for two years with expenses outweighing profit. Negative income in other words. Credit maxed. Nothing is available for those who don’t have children nor a disability and no income. Those people don’t qualify for medicaid. It would be very easy to just state that you must be a contributing taxpayer (even tho unemployed) to qualify rather than put us through the application of irrelevant questions. That should be clearly stated before beginning this frustrating process.
AND, outside of enrollment period..forget it.
Yeah, a of mine gripe with the ACA is that it works really well for the average person getting a paycheck. Without Medicaid expansion it does very little in the way of favors for a small business owner working on negative income for a few years while they get stuff in order. This isn’t necessarily better than pre-ACA when small business owners also got the short end of the healthcare stick, but it didn’t necessarily improve it.
Of course, it’s the GOP rejection of Medicaid that is perhaps the overarching issue. Still, politics aside, outcome isn’t great.
my son is 33 and has never worked. can he get Obamacare? I was told no.
If you live in a state that expanded Medicaid the answer is 100% yes. If not, then likely no. Single low-income adult males are often not covered, but it depends on state and then on charitable assistance offered in the region.
loosing my coverage due to loosing
losing not lossing
I appreciate it, I try not to change any text readers write to maintain integrity. The person who asked the question wrote that… but maybe it is confusing. I’ll update since I don’t think it affects the overarching message.
Medicaid in Florida was not expanded. You are out of luck
I was laid off in February, and found short term “affordable”insurance that did not provide maternity coverage, drug/alcohol abuse coverage or mental health coverage. This type of coverage is perfect for me, since I don’t have any mental, drug or alcohol abuse issues, nor due I plan to have a baby. I am now learning that since this coverage is Not deemed ACA approved, I will be required to pay a HEFTY penalty of 2.5% of my household income at tax time. The Government has NO RIGHT to dictate what type of healthcare insurance I should have. Particularly, when ACA insurance premiums are 300’s times higher in cost. That is not a typo, The cost is 300 times higher.
There is no way that the premiums are 300x higher. That would mean that a plan that used to cost $100 a month now costs $30,000 a month.
my wife is unemployed, can she apply for obamacare? If so, what are the income levels we can’t exceed to apply for obamacare? thanks
INCOME 15,000 FOR 2015, FULL TIME STUDENT 7/15 TO 6/16, OBAMA CARE FOR 2016, NO INCOME FOR 2016, LOOKING FOR LPN NURSE JOB, NOTHING YET. CAN I APPLY FOR OBAMA CARE FOR 2017, SHOULD HAVE JOB WITHIN A FEW MONTHS.
I am a Tech worker in Arizona, I work contract jobs because local Tech companies don’t want to hire U.S. citizens, They import H1B VISA workers. According to the ACA plan selections summary, I will have to pay $570/month with a $6,800 deductible. How is this fair? WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR OTHER PEOPLES INSURANCE?
I’m unemployed No income.
How much would I have to pay if anything fir coverage?
If you are unemployed with no income your first step should be contacting your state medicaid department and seeing if you can get help through them. They may be best suited to point you in the right direction if not as well.
I enrolled but I don’t know how to pay the $25 a month bill. How do I pay for obmacare
I can pay the same amount from savings as I did while employed, about $300.00 but
$676.79 (Molina Bronze) is way to much. It would still come out of my bank as it did
before. What difference does it make? I am 63.5 and have some savings which I am
holding on to help pay for things I will need like a medicare secondary. My state of Florida
has not expanded medicaid. As we are getting no interest from are savings I am
trying to hold on to all I can for when I am 65. And you can’t take early SS with out
taking a good hit. So why can’t I continue as before? What’s it to you?
I’m UNEMPLOYED AND IT COST ME 50.00 A MONTH TO HAVE COVERAGE. IS THIS LEGAL
I am unemployed, over 60 but not old enough to qualify for Medicare. Can’t afford Obamacare because my husband makes more than the subsidy allowance. I am really depressed because I can’t find a job offering me the benefits I need. They want me to pay 900.00 per month for health insurance because of my age after my Cobra runs out in 2017. What am I supposed to do? I feel I would be better off dead.
I have been unemployed for over a year. Of which I haven’t had health coverage. Will I still be getting a fine for this?
My husband lost his job on 11/03/2016. He had family coverage for us. He hasn’t found a job yet and now we’re past the enrollment period. Can we get coverage? I did an application and it said we can’t. I don’t want to pay the fee. What can we do?
Without qualifying for Medicaid, your options are limited. You have a short special enrollment window when you lose coverage and can get covered during open enrollment, otherwise options are few and far between. You can always contact healthcare.gov for direction.