Should I get Short-term during a 90 Day Waiting Period?
I am getting a new job, and they do not offer insurance for the first 90 days of employment. I have insurance with my current employer, but during that 90 days, I was going to get short term. Will I be penalized by doing this?
Answer
You can have up to a 90 day gap each year in coverage. If it will be more, don't go short term, go with COBRA or even Marketplace coverage to avoid the fee.
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I had left a job Friday, January 31st 3015 and started a new job Monday, February 3rd 2015. Starting this new job I had 90 days until health coverage was possible, therefore putting me at 93 days before receiving coverage. Is there a way around this fee for a job change like this? If there is not, please answer the following question.
How is giving a fee to those who are trying to better themselves by changing to better jobs helping the American people? A fee of $162 on my tax form is hurtful to myself and many other people who are having the same issues.
The answer is that when you left the other job it qualified you for special enrollment in the marketplace. You should have gotten coverage while you were transitioning jobs. That said, you get less than 3 full months exempt ever year. So you would only owe one month of fee.
The answer to why this is “fair” on a grand-scale involves explaining the point of view of every employer and healthcare related industry, subsidization, and taxation related to healthcare. I don’t mean that dismissively, I mean literally the fee and special enrollment are mechanics to get everyone to be willing to agree to the ACA.