What if I Still Can’t Afford Coverage?



What if i still cant afford coverage under ObamaCare due to monthly bills, child support, etc. What do i do? Is there free insurance somewhere?

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I now have 2 clients I do home health care but now they say I make too much money so I got my Ebt and my medcaid is in jeopardy also its not fair that we bring our selves up alittle but our services get taken away

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Camellia Deforrest

Truly no matter if someone doesn’t understand after that its up to other viewers that they will assist, so here it happens.|

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Natasha saves $167 a month. Natasha saves $41 less each month than Lucas. How much will Lucas save in 4 years? The answer.

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In simple terms, more than Natasha. To be fair, Natasha either earns more or has chosen a higher deductible plan (assuming we are talking about premium savings). The question is though, are we just talking about premium savings, or are we talking about out-of-pocket savings from assistance too? Or perhaps we are just talking about the value of a plan offering savings on the market price of drugs and services.

What seems like a simple math problem is truly a deep conversation, isn’t it?

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My son (35) can’t work because he fell and blew his knee. He has no insurance and we cannot put him on ours. He lives with us now and provides help to us-elderly parents who are stuck with very high medical bills on our own. All insurances are based on household income and not his. What is he supposed to do? If he could get his knee fixed he would be able to work again but it is a Catch 22 situation.

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Unless he is a tax-dependent he should be able to qualify for Medicaid in most states. Medicaid offers free or low-cost coverage.

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Obamacare was around $300 a month for me, I don’t have that kind of money to spare. Couldn’t find anything else, so what do I do? Am I just supposed to die under this unequal rule?

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I WORKED AS A NURSE FOR 30 YEARS SO COVERAGE FOR MY FAMILY WAS REASONABLE THROUGH MY EMPLOYER. MY HUSBAND WORKD 34 YEARS AT HIS JOB AND HAD DECENT HEALTH COVERAGE OPTIONS. WELL, I AM 68 AND RECEIVING SSI NOW . I HAD TO GET SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE SINCE MEDICARE DOES NOT COVER EVERYTHING. I ALSO PAY FOR SEPERATE INSURANCE FOR MEDICATIONS. WELL, WITH MY MEDICARE MONTHLY PREMIUM AND BOTH SUPPLEMENT PREMIUMS, THE COSTS IS OVER $300.00 A MONTH. MY SSI IS ONLY $1350.00 AMONTH. AT 68 NOW, I HAVE MEDICAL NEEDS. SINCE MY HUSBAND LOST HIS INSURANCE AND HIS JOB AFTER 34 YEARS. HE IS ON UNEMPLOYMENT NOW. HE QUALIFIES FOR OBAMA CARE BUT WE CANNOT AFFORD THOSE HIGH PREMIUMS MONTHLY AND THE OUT OF POCKET COSTS. WELL, HE CANNOT GET INSURANCE SO WE WILL JUST PRAY NO MEDICAL CRISIS HAPPENS TO HIM. WE WORKED HARD ALL OF THOSE YEARS AND NOW WE ARE WORSE OFF DUE TO HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS. WE DO NOT QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID. I THOUGHT WHEN WE GOT OLDER THINGS WOULD BE SO MUCH EASIER. IT IS HARD TO SEE SO MANY IMMIGRANTS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE ABUSING THE SYSTEM GET FREE MEDICAL COVERAGE, FOOD STAMPS, HOUSING, AND FREE PHONES. I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE DISABLED OR NEED ASSISTANCE BECAUSE OF LIFE CHANGES. ONE GOOD THING IS THEY ARE GETTING RID OF THAT TAX PENALTY. PLEASE VOTE FOR TRUMP IN 2020 SO HEALTHCARE GETS REFORMED AND FINALLY HELPS THE HARD WORKING MIDDL CLASS!

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My husband and I are on disability benefits and we make to much for Medicaid. But it takes very thing we have to pay bills.. We can’t even buy food. We have to rely on food panties and you can’t go often. We can’t even get our medicine but every other month. We both have meds. that we are to take every day and we are taking a chance with our lives when we don’t have them. Can you help

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There aren’t any perfect solutions aside from “make less money” or “make more money” when it comes to healthcare (and of course each of those “answers” have problems), with that said, local charities, local hospitals, staying up to date with changes to Medicaid in your state, and more are good places to start.

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OBama care for me and my wife will cost $12-1300 a month that’s is with a high deductible. So after many years of having good affordable insurance I now have no insurance. I have been battling Lupus for a long time and now I am having to go without medical coverage. I literally would be better off leaving my job then it will be practically free. This is most ridiculous disgusting kick in the butt for the hard working middle class American.

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So first off, not knowing any details, I can see how that would be very upsetting. I would not be happy, how could anyone be?

Still though, the rate you are paying is toward the very high end of what someone would pay with no cost assistance (that is no marketplace assistance and no employer assistance).

So my first thought is, are you getting the maximum amount of assistance you qualify for?

My second thought is, although it is little consolation, it is important to note that before the ACA there were other people out there who couldn’t afford coverage (like literally couldn’t afford it) and went without treatment for conditions like Lupus.

The ACA may not have gone far enough to provide assistance to working class families making above 400% of the poverty level. I won’t argue there. But in my mind we need a solution that helps families like yours and families of those less fortunate, and not just one or the other.

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You can’t get low cost or reduce plans if you can not work! Why do so many keep posting the same nonsense info online? If you’re practically disable like me, you’re not going to be on a job and therefore, you won’t own even one cent, so what good will reduced plans do?

You have only two options if you’re in my position….

1 – Your forced to work disabled on a job long enough to get several months worth of insurance

2 – Die

That’s it…because no one cares.

https://www.gofundme.com/start/medical-fundraising

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I still cant even make it about my coverage. Life taking so long to wait

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My husband worked for over 36 years with the phone company and when he was a employee it was awesome, we never had to worry about medical. I could go to the dr. anytime I wanted…Now…Nope, Obama care ruined it …I have to pay $350 per mo just for myself, ( my husband is now on Medicare) and I still can’t go see a dr. due to it’s over 300 dollars per visit and my medical won’t kick in until I have satisfied my deductible of 3500 dollars and then it only pays 80%. Our premium went up again this year. I’m only 60 this year and when it goes up next year I won’t be able to afford it at all ( were on a fixed income). it’s scary when your older knowing things are starting to go wrong with your health and not being able to do anything about it. When I do have to go to the Dr. for something serious it will be to find out how long I have due to I won’t be able to afford any treatment.

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I don’tknow wtf to do. I’m on unemployment that runs out Oct 20, am doing everything possible to get a job, I have a past, I’m a recovering addict n alcoholic w 13 misdemeanors, none of them hurting any1 or theft n last one was in 2013. I’ve worked really hard to get clean despite some OVERWHELMING challenges (An a abusive relationship which is y I’m unemployed, bc he went to prison for beating me so bad, he’s gone for 3-6 yrs and I started taking xanax for anxiety, I went into work one day, I had tbe perfect job for me, a call ctr making 38k/yr for someone w/no work history or hardly any, it was great, I was there 4 years n they fire me. Anyway, I’m on unemployment and b4 I even got on unemployment, 1st thing I did was apply for medicaid thinking, maybe now I can FINALLY get these health probs taken care of, 1st 2 being dental n Hep C, I wanted to c if they’d cover me for Mayvret, a Hep C med cheaper than Harvoni, and they granted me covg, I went, got the bloodwork. My C was bad enough I qualified for covg n they started me on it. I took 3 days of the 8 week treatment and find out they say I make too much $$ on unemployment. Now the insurance I had at my old job was horrendous and would never have paid for this and I cannot afford Obamacare, I don’t even know where I’m gonna find a job making enough to pay child support, pay methadone clinic, buy food, keep roof over my head, have a minimal cell phone bill, and pay for my psychiatrist who I’m starting to feel is somewhat useless anyway-she doesn’t listen to my complaints that this med isn’t working. I’ve made phone call after phone call and really wanna straight give up bc everyone on the good side of the fence always say, “oh, there has to be an answer
r for u somewhere” n there really is not. I’m starying to feel suicidal over all these problems, I can’t take 1 more thing, And with Trump in office, I’m even more scared.

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Well good on you for doing the right thing, none of that is easy to deal with. My immediate thought is unemployment should not be disqualifying you from Medicaid… unless you live in a red state. If you live in a red state then this all starts adding up. In general, not to get political, but blue states (like my home state of Washington state) tend to have more helpful assistance programs.

The reality is there are a lot of states where there really isn’t an answer because state and federal government fails to properly fund safety net programs. That said, there are so many details and details change by state so without me knowing more information it is hard for me to offer perfect advice.

The annoying thing is under the ACA it was supposed to be Medicaid is expanded up to the poverty level and then Obamacare with full assistance kicks in. But in some red states there is a gap inbetween those and people get stuck in that and then can’t afford their healthcare. No perfect way out, but that does seem to be the problem here.

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My husband is a teamster and he has to work a number of hours to be covered for the following month the problem is some months he doesn’t make enough to qualify , and he makes too much money for assistance so month by month coverage would not be an option as if we paid for the month and he gets enough hours they we would be paying twice just a no win situation

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Free health care for illegals while hard working American CITIZENS don’t qualify and now can’t afford the absurd premiums and out of pocket charged by insurance companies. It is a fact now, you either need to be a poor, non contributor or extremely wealthy. Good job destroying the middle class, AKA the ones who built this country. You’re destroying this country.

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Only legally present immigrants can access the Affordable Care Act benefits. Even those in the DACA program are not eligible.

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I work like a dog and gross 50,000 a year in the south which is above. I have a family of 4. I have a house note of 1,000$ moderate here. My paychecks are about 1300$ every 2 weeks.
They want 987$ for insurance. So choices are, sell house and live in a box and have insurance, Have a house and insurance, just no groceries, utilities, or other expenses.

Why is it not affordable anymore!!

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If I buy a catastrophic plan that’s not ACA approved, but it cost 8% of my GAI, I won’t be penalized?

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Under the current law technically you will still be penalized for not having minimum essential coverage. The Trump administration and IRS have sort of butted heads. The law is what it is until 2019 when the mandate is repealed. There is massive confusion over this. Can’t image it will turn out well.

Always contact HealthCare.gov and/or see official IRS documentation for the last word on the matter.

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Well, isn’t that just wonderful. I am 56, have a genetic condition that requires monitoring and cannot afford even the “cheapest,” cruddiest Bronze insurance plan, whose deductibles and copays would bankrupt me. So, great. I’m exampt with no access to health care. This is a death sentence for me and many like me. This country should be deeply ashamed of itself.

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It is crazy right. On one hand you had, before the ACA, a situation where if you didn’t have healthcare you would face prices like this for sure. As you would have been a nightmare to insure with your health issues.

Now after the law, and with everything that has happened with both parties playing tug of war with our healthcare, you have this situation where you qualify no matter what, but it’s super expensive because you make too much for cost assistance.

For others maybe its that they think one politicians is MAGA and the other is a bummer, but for you it is life and death and you get no help (as rhetoric isn’t going to solve your health or health insurance issues).

Its almost an existential situation. I mean, what is your solution? Start a GoFundMe account, right?

I don’t know what to say, unless we get someone who will actually push for Universal healthcare… I don’t see how your situation gets any better. One party will bring costs down, by excluding people like you. The other will generally offer assistance, but not to your income bracket.

Neither solution is poised to help you, I would be upset in your situation too! One thing you could do is invest in healthcare stocks. The return is really good, that could probably help pay for your healthcare if you have like $100k to put down. Of course not everyone is a wealthy investor, so they aren’t seeing the upside of remaining in a profit driven system.

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i gross 1000 for a disability check from a company but i get 423 of that is taken out of my check for child support and tenn care tells me i dont make enough money to get tenn care and i can get one of there plans that is over 400 dollars and with all the bills me and my family have we only have 300 dollars left and my fiance gets ssi and even with help from welfare with health care for my step kids have medical i still cant health care so what do some due when the need to have surg. on there so they can work again and not be put in a wheele chair so all i have to say that the health care system is one big joke for the poor people so the rich people can just line there pockets

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My companies health insurance was great the last 13 years. Paid just over $ 450 monthly for a family of 4 and had a 20/80 split, 20% being my co-pay. Due to the high cost of Obamacare on the industry, my insurance is now an HSA at roughly the same monthly cost but just 2 covered now. I have a $3000 deductible that must be completely met prior to any coverage and only then it becomes a 20/80 % split. I have to drop my monthly maintenance medication due to the cost being out of my reach. Maybe I need to quit my job and ride off the govt like many.

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I couldn’t afford Obamacare in Texas and moved to Missouri and still couldn’t afford Obamacare how can I receive something from there so I don’t get penalized on my tax return. The tax check would help me pay off some small debts

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This whole system is jacked up! There ain’t no way in hell I’m going to pay 5,6,7,8,9 or 1000 thousand dollars a month for insurance with a deductible of $6,7,8,9,10 thousand dollars on top of co-insurance when I see the docter once a year. Even for little things like broken arms or something along those lines you end up paying for everything. Example: My plan is $530 a month with a deductible of $6200. So, I break my arm and shit and have to go to the docter several times. First off, $530 for 12 months is $6300 a year on top of the deductible is 12,000 dollars out of my pocket in one your for a broken arm. Really!!!! Fuck that. This is the most ridiculous shit I have ever seen. On top of that you have lazy pieces of shit and illegal immigrants out there that are getting free health care on my fucking dime. There is no reason in this world that any family that is more or less healthy should have to pay premiums for health care anywhere near what a house payment cost. Health insurance now is pointless. Basically you just give away free money. Obama care blows!

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Just another swindle by the rich pig capitalist scum of the U.S. government and business class. Because the place I work reports my tips for taxes, I am now ineligible for Medicaid, but even the cheapest Marketplace plan costs 233 dollars a month- should I choose between paying my rent to my pig landlord, paying my student loan to the vampire scum making a profit off me, paying this allegedly lowest possible price for healthcare, or putting gas in my car so that I can get to work to afford to do any of this? How do you expect me to eat, how do you expect me to pay taxes to you bloodsuckers? Magically produce money out of thin air to pay you?

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I am a single mother and my ex does not contribute much! I have a good income because I bust my ass and work non stop!! They should consider AFTER TAXES for insurance cost!! After taxes, my mortgage, private school, my vehicle note, piano lessons for my son, groceries, gas, electricity, and all the other necessary things that cost, I don’t have an extra $800 for SAVING much less heath insurance with a $13,000 deductible and $14,700 out-of-pocket! Our government has LOST their minds!!

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I make 24000 per year and I have pre existing conditions

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Then you qualify for assistance under the Affordable Care Act and you are in the category of people who very likely benefited from healthcare reform.

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ObamaCareFacts.com on August 1, 2016

“That really isn’t true, I know it feels like that sometimes… but America is built on hard work, don’t worry about what the Jone’s are doing aside when it comes discussing on how to create smart policy.”

Wrong. The ultra wealthy who own the stooges in DC want everyone to work hard without question… like slaves.

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The ultra wealthy and lobbyists work hard every day to make their vision a reality. 😉

Half joking.

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So health Insurance assistance is based on income. But what is not taken into consideration is monthly bills. What if someone is living paycheck to paycheck. And yeah, maybe go the lowest possible option but why do we have to pay for something that won’t even cover??

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That is a great point. There are essentially no considerations for certain types of debt and monthly bills that burden the low income percentiles in the tax code (beyond the obvious like health care tax credits and the mortgage interest deduction). That is one of those things some people want to see reformed, but generally doesn’t make it on Congress’s or a given POTUS’s agenda.

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I Make ZERO dollars a year. I do not qualify for any form of Medi-cal, Medicaid, Medicare or any of it. I have tried and been denied for all.

Reason being:
I live with my parents. They earn money. So therefor, even though I am a 31 year old man, with no job and no money whatsoever, living in my parents garage… I am not eligible.

Guess what I am eligible for? The god damned fee on my taxes.

I cannot afford insurance. It will not be provided for me. But I still have to pay a tax for it?? Absolute and total bullshit.

And before you tell me I am wrong, I have been trying and arguing with Medi-cal for 6 months.

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If you file taxes with them, then you have this problem. If you don’t file taxes with them, then you should qualify.

The reasoning is assistance is based on the MAGI income of the tax family and tax family size in general.

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Just to add my two cents worth. Besides the fact that my monthly adjusted out of pocket went up 145% to over $245 per month and my income went down, I have been trying now to find a specialist who will actually take my insurance coverage. I have needed surgery for over a year now, with rejection after rejection of providers and my disability is about to run out. I am the main income earner in our household. With the huge deductibles for my elderly Father and myself I am about to be bled dry.

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how am i to pay $1500+ on a income of $2400, what about the mandated vehicle insurance that forces you to pay for uninsured motorist, when ever one is suppose to have veh insurance how do I pay that too and Taxes, then still exist. Never-mind the roof over my head or food in my belly or heat in my home. This was a greedy insurance scam forced on the american people, utterly disgusting, by all calculations we pay for something monthly we cant use do to high deductibles, saved insurance from spending, just collecting, then lack of care puts me in the grave, seems like economical genocide, Thanks for nothing. I know my Lord so In ready to die and get away from this evil earth I just dont know how anyone in their right mind can call this AFFORDABLE

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This is insane..the deductibles are insane,,and if we don’t sign up we get penalized ..well you can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip I say..its extortion plain and simple and people need
to call it what it is..a crime

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Looked at enrollment costs. 1600 a month plus 5000 deductible on a 60k income. With subsidy. Guess I’m not getting insurance. I CANNOT afford that. This law is a disaster for my family. Choose America. Pay your mortgage, or get insurance that needs you to spend 5k before any benefits kick in. Oh and do it again next year. Garbage

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I can’t argue with that. If after all assistance options you would pay $1,600 a month, then how can one expect you to be anything but frustrated.

Now, with that said, the cost of comprehensive insurance isn’t likely to go down without a real solution in place. Neither party has brought a real solution to the table yet, so keep that in mind. Even if you aren’t mandated to have coverage, you’ll still be up against costs like this (and without any assistance) without some sort of reform in place.

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POOR ANSWER for those in need. Bureaucratic nonsense.
Here’s an answer. LOWER COST OF INSURANCE!!! No one would need subsidies if the costs were affordable. There should be no need for a premium to be more than $300. If insurance companies feel that gouging the American public to make up reductions in their bottom line is acceptable then maybe we should stop using that company. Has anyone noticed the credit card companies doing the same. High interest rates to make up for the losses they created and incurred.
Insurance companies need to look at the big picture instead of building monuments to their institution. There is no need for humongous buildings and millions of dollars spent on advertising. Everybody knows who you are just give the service you used to and people will flock to your doors. Millions of people paying a nominal amount is better than a few paying a large amount.
Shame on the system!!!

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The fact is healthcare reform made health insurance not affordable to me
I make 26k I qualify for about $80 subsidies per mongh but premium is $200 more per month than it used to and my deductible is much higher.
I’m too rich for Medicaid at 26 k single
This is all in 2017 , in 2018 is even worse premium just went up even more. Thank you for the unaffordable care act

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I’m 21 and have many born diseases and can no longer afford health insurance. Thanks to you I’m getting sicker. This is a complete scam and since I cant afford health insurance they are going to take even more money. I dont even make 5000 a year and you want 300 from me a month and if I dont have health insurance come tax time youll take more than 900 I guess im going to be in dept all my life..

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Under the Affordable Care Act your coverage is free. The ACA expanded Medicaid. The only way you don’t have coverage is if you live in a Red state run by Republicans… because they refused to expand Medicaid.

Does that make sense? Your anger is valid, but misdirected.

Obama tried to ensure your healthcare, the GOP denied it. This is what we are up against. I hope we can have your support in ensuring healthcare FOR ALL… not just those citizens who live in Blue states.

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Medicaid is not insurance. It’s theft of money from taxes and inflation of the money supply to give someone medical care for free. It will destroy the dollar as it’s value plummets in response to the money printing necessary. Medicaid is half the reason for high prices to begin with because it incentivises third party ins. and doctors to utilize the most expensive treatments and drugs by not having the consumer see costs, nor have a choice in the marketplace and purchase the cheapest solution for their individual situation. Think of this analogy… If you have two drugs, one is 97 percent effective and costs a dollar, the other is 99 percent effective and costs 1000 dollars, a normal person who.had to choose on his own would choose the dollar treatment, but a third party will choose the 1000 dollar option. If the seller of.the drug, say a hospital can charge a 1000 every time and be compensated by the gov. They will. Same with contraception, which I’m told is a right. 2 dollar condom, which is as effective as a 1000 dollar iud. Force the iud, and ins. Premiums go up. Govt is the COMPLETE reason for the astronomical costs. Red blue makes purple. Bipartisanship is an excuse to hide the fact that in the 50s a single worker could easily afford to have a doctor to come to their house for treatment.

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What about the millions of working poor and children who rely on Medicaid? What about those who want this insurance to cover contraceptives, and who pay for their insurance… should someone else get to tell them that their coverage can’t include contraceptives?

Sure, most of us can afford a doctor, but not everyone can afford all the care they need.

Appreciate the cogent points, but don’t think we fully agree on some specifics.

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This has to be a bad dream

I make 28k a year and have 3 kids. $400 For bronze with a 6k deductible.
That’s almost as much as my rent, I can’t afford that.

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That doesn’t seem right. You should, after cost assistance, be looking at something that costs less than $50 a month with a bronze plan and a very small deductible on a silver plan.

You must go with the silver plan to reduce your out-of-pocket costs at your income, so please browse those plans.

Based on the numbers you are giving me, I feel like you are quoting me the amount without cost assistance applied. Please call the marketplace directly so they can help.

https://obamacarefacts.com/federal-poverty-level/

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I make minimum wage and worst, I am a contract worker so I make sure calculate what I need to pay for taxes. I don’t qualify for medical. I live in the state of CA because all my family here. I love being with them more than wanting to move to a less expensive state. Currently, I live in the not so nice neighborhood (ghetto), not because I want to, but it’s the only place I can afford rent. It would be nice to not have to share a room. I drive a 1999 Toyota because I need a car that won’t break down on me and can get me to point A to B. I work an hour away. The car is old and has problems that I can’t afford to fix. Every year, I feel less safe driving it. I never eat out, but I want to. I live frugal, and literally mean it.

I’m thankful I don’t have kids. I’m thankful my roommate is ‘normal’. I’m thankful that my student loans are small and was smart enough to pay my high interest off immediately. I’m thankful that my credit balance in 0.

I believe everyone should have health insurance and I agree the reason on forcing it.

I chose to not have health insurance last year, not because I was healthy, but because I couldn’t afford it. Paying a fine of $325 was a better chose at that time. Not that the fine is $695, I had to get it. I can’t afford the catastrophe plan.

All I am doing now is looking for a better paying job. I’m sure my life would turn around, but gosh dang it, why is it so difficult to live a normal life here?

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Just got my projected premiums for 2018. My monthly premium will be OVER 25% of my income before taxes!! And I’m a healthy 30-something. My parents premiums are even worse. That is absurd. Why am I even working anymore? My entire paycheck goes to healthcare/rent/utilities etc. I have no money for even groceries, let alone having any kind of life! When are “we the people” going to put a stop to this, because nothing is going to change as long as we just keep letting them take us for everything we have! I’ve never been more embarrassed to say I’m an American. And I’ve already started looking into moving out of this greedy country. So sad.

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That means you would be exempt from the requirement to get coverage. You should contact healthcare.gov and explain your situation. They will guide you toward your options and the proper exemptions.

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It’s ludicrous to charge people who can’t afford insurance! That’s as stupid as the standardised tests that reward good scoring districts with more funding and cut the funds for low scoring districts. It’s ads backwards. Especially these days where the set poverty level isn’t even accurate. Cost of living far exceeds general pay out of jobs! You’re putting people in debt because they’re poor and in debt! There’s no reason any form of medical help in this country should be so outrageously expensive! It’s just Big Pharma and the Government with their heads up their asses and have no idea what it’s like to be an average American citizen. It sucks! America sucks! Abolish the ACA! It doesn’t help and further ensures the people in this country are ruled by being in debt. The y) government body is a bunch of scammers, liars and crooks. Y’all need to be hung and lit on fire.

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That was rather harsh words, but I think they are in the bounds of reason (although I almost didn’t hit the publish button for your sake; I don’t think you crossed any line). Anyway, to your point:

So technically, if you can’t afford it you qualify for an affordability exemption. Also, if you can’t afford it you generally get Medicaid for free (in states that expanded).

Now, this is only true in general for those with lower incomes. If you have an income above 400% (but sometimes even between say 300% and 400%; or in other very specific cases below that) then you can get in a situation where you can’t afford it with the rest of your costs in life, but you technically don’t meet the criteria for an exemption.

That situation is frustrating, and it is the type of thing that I was hoping the GOP and Trump would fix. They however seem intent on addressing that only by offering low-cost low-benefit plans and by undoing all the assistance that makes coverage affordable for those on Medicaid and with cost assistance. That is, they may lower plan prices for the healthy middle-class, but then a whole new group of people will be without coverage.

You may think the mandate is absurd, and certainly I don’t love it, but it is one of a few types of systems that exist in the world. Australia has a mandate system for example, and they have cheaper universal Medicare for all. But if you opt-out, you have to pay.

In other words, I agree with your sentiment to some degree. People are paying a lot and are rightly frustrated… but let’s not throw out the idea of universal coverage and healthcare reform just because the current iteration isn’t good enough.

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Does “If everything is still unaffordable, look into exemptions”refer to exemptions one takes filing taxes? If so, how will this help a person in the short term who can’t afford to pay the insurance the marketplace has decided is affordable? I underwent a qualifying event and reapplied for health insurance, hoping I could receive Medicaid, but I was told my income was above the threshold, so I signed up for a “Silver” policy with Health First. The coverage was backdated to September 1 although the navigator said the coverage would start October 1. Long story short, I got dropped (remember, going through hardship, no money). It turns out I cannot have coverage until January by enrolling again. I’m 64-years-old, work two jobs, pay rent myself and for my daughter, and if I get sick, well, that’s just too bad! This renders one feeling totally marginalized and devalued. Oh–and because I reapplied but lost healthcare, I’ll have to pay a penalty too even though I tried (phone log shows over 12 calls to NYS of Health). I”ll be penalized too for not being insured. Thanks, Obamacare!

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That is a strange sequence of events. Don’t blame you for being frustrated. In a situation where the marketplace or an insurer made a mistake and it resulted in you losing coverage, you have the right to appeal and have your coverage reinstated.

If you lose access to cost assistance due to your income dipping below the poverty level, you should have been transitioned into Medicaid (if your state expanded).

My best suggestion in your case is to appeal, as it sounds like you are in an unfair situation.

As for exemptions, some you take in advance and some you take at tax time. Here is a page on that: https://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-exemptions-list/

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I was Soo happy in the beginning when I got the insurance coverage . I paid only $36/month. The following year it was $53 and some change still not bad at all. I had coverage on everything. Dr visits for complete physicals were $5. I never paid for lab work. I even had to have gastric sleeve surgery which is a very expensive surgery and only had to pay a little over $300… This year nearly tripled to $141.06/month. I get behind on my payments all the time now. Now I’m getting bills for $200, $375 all for mostly my lab work. I’ve never had to pay for this!! Ever!! Then yesterday I get a letter in the mail with me new estimate for 2018 and it’s $227/month—WTF??!! If I can’t afford $141 now and constantly get behind, I’m totally screwed come next year. I don’t qualify for Medicaid. I have epilepsy, bipolar, migraines and have to see my doctors…this is ridiculously insane. I don’t like Trump but I sure hope he’s talking the truth and really does have something better. If not it’s going to cause problems

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I make about $400 bi-weekly and after bills and expenses i have about $50 dollars to my name how am i suppose to afford health insurance and be able to eat and pay for my gas to get to work. all the insurance company’s on the market place leave me with nothing and just so you know i live in Chicago were TAXING people is done for fun.

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I am so ready for Obama Care to disappear, I can’t get it due to company offering insurance which most of us can’t afford and if I don’t have it will have to pay when I do text return. This isn’t fair to us hard working tax payers to its time for those who suppose to take care of us tax payers to get on board with our President and getc rid of Obama Care and bring back Health departments.

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I became unemployed so we (family of 3) qualified for Medicaid. None of the providers in our area would accept it. We had to drive 35 miles for a checkup. If we had an emergency the Hospital 1 mile from our home would be worthless. I’ve been working a full time (temp) job and my wife is working 2 jobs. We were just informed that as of the first of the year we no longer qualify for aid. We will have to pay $850 per month for a $13k deductible policy. If somebody gets sick or has to go to the hospital, we’re bankrupt. The biggest part of this problem is heath care providers can charge what they want and we have to pay. When I was working we had good insurance – my wife broke her arm. Four hours in the hospital – $25k. Our out of pocket was $2k.

Obama care is garbage. We are partially covered now, and next year we have to pay huge premiums for less coverage. Just repeal it

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I get the frustration, but keep in mind that ObamaCare expanded Medicaid. Without that you would have had no healthcare options when you became unemployed. That would have probably been worse than having to travel to get care. With that said, Medicaid programs differ by state. In some states it just works better. Lots of things to keep in mind here. One of those is that “repealing it” could very well hurt your family more than help depending on the specific situation. That $25k for a broken arm isn’t going to be repealed, so that cost is something people are up against with or without assistance.

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I just need the hardship exemption form sent me. I got it last year with no. Problem. Its like 4 or 5 pages long I believe kit o965

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It should not be called the affordable care act at all. I was in the national gaurd for 11 years, deployed and all that good stuff. For out and got tri care take away. Now since I have a good paying job and a house and I’m married I can not even get by with health care. If my wife and I got divorced she could get state aid for her lupus and our daughters healthcare. Plus other assistance. Makes it pretty hard to live an honest life and stay married like people should. And don’t give me that nonsense on how your not better of working rather than being unemployed or underemployed and living of the gov’t because it because you are. Middle class gets taxed to hi hell then have to pay out a ton to have insurance. While the money from my paycheck goes to pay for people that are living the dishonest life. Glad I fought for a country that has their priorities all screwed up.

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Well it finally happened. I had to rush my husband to the ER without medical insurance. I knew something like this might happened but with Obamacare/ ACA wanting $600 a month for coverage we had no choice. We could have cut all our extra expenses & still not had enough for a plan. Now we are probably in $50,000 dollars worth of debt. Debt that we will never be able to repay.

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That is truly sad. One can see why $600 a month, though absurdly expensive for the average family, is in those worst cases worth it… but you don’t need a lecture here. Likewise, one can see why single payer isn’t just for those too lazy to work, but instead a good idea for all Americans.

I’m not sure what to say, but thank you for sharing your story.

TIP: You can google “ways to deal with medical debt” there are lots of potential options for those willing to exhaust all their options (charity, bankruptcy, talking to the hospital and getting amounts reduced, payments over time, etc).

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Yes I just acquired health insurance in March through hip. In April I began working for the senior community service employment program and now I found out I will no longer be eligible. I cannot afford marketplace insurance.

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I am unemployed and have/had serious health issues. I fall in that gap and it is very stressful. I am part of the gap that you don’t hear about in the news.I go to a low cost clinic for my prescription refills, but I need so much more. This is so scary!!

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My workplace plan is considered “affordable” because I can afford my premiums. However I have significant pre-existing conditions and have a large amount of doctor’s appointments and medical needs, and my employer only offers one plan – a high-deductible plan. I’ve maxed out my HSA and it only covers about half of my medical expenses, and I only make about 29,000 a year. Right now I’m taking loans from my parents just to be able to afford enough medical care to make it so I’m able to hold down a job, and I’m thinking of dropping to part-time because it would allow me to go back to a marketplace plan. Is there any other option for me?

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If you don’t qualify for the affordability exemption, then there might not be any other perfect option.

The only other thing I can think of is that if your costs get high enough, then you might be able to deduct for medical expenses, and thus bring down your AGI, and thus qualify for the exemption.

That seems like it would create an odd loophole where you wouldn’t qualify for assistance, but then you would spend, and then you would qualify, but then you’d have to change plans, and then if the assistance helped you wouldn’t be able to deduct, etc.

I don’t have the expertise for this one, but I can point you at https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Tax-Deductions-and-Credits/-Can-I-Claim-Medical-Expenses-on-My-Taxes-/INF14196.html

In other words, I don’t have a perfect answer here, but certainly calling the marketplace might help you think of solutions.

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To be quite honest, our exchange can’t even manage to keep me in the system long enough to be useful, and has repeatedly offered conflicting information or simply lost information they told me. I can’t even get my 1095-A from when I had a plan with them 2 years ago, because every time I call they’ve lost my information. They also caused me problems failing to cancel my plan upon request when I started my employer’s plan. At this point even if they offered me a solution, I wouldn’t trust that it would actually be legal because they’ve been so woefully uneducated about their own program

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I should also add my premiums themselves are very very low – around $15 a month. So if the affordability is going off of premiums, it’s going to be pretty much impossible to get my AGI under the limit, unless I go low enough for medicaid (and my state medicaid limit is too low to live off of in the part of the state I live in).

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This answer isn’t good enough. I find myself in the position where I simply can’t afford to pay $180/mo. for health insurance, but I apparently make too much to be eligible for Medicaid. I’m homeless, carless, most of my money goes to food and transportation to and from work, and I have severe health issues, I can’t afford ANY of my many medications now, try holding down a job without medications you need to even function.

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I can’t afford insurance. I’ve been exempt for a couple years now. Texas has denied Medicaid for adults. It’s great that I don’t have to pay a penalty, but the problem still exists. I don’t have insurance and I need to find out if anything is wrong. But how?……

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My sister is supporting 4 people on $44,000 a year and The cost of insurance is more than what it cost her to just pay for the doctor and dentist bills out of her pocket. She is barely making it work from month to month. Obama care would be killing her to get the insurance, the monthly cost alone for four people is about $600 and they did duct a bowl is about $2000 per person,. I myself find that as the definition of insanity. Then she gets fine her entire tax return for not having insurance and she still owes over $1500 after they take her return. Money she used to use to get her kids clothes, school supplies and pay their school enrollment fees. How do they expect people who they consider middle class to get by? It’s impossible, please if somebody out there has a solution for my sister please let me know. She makes too much to get Medicaid, but not enough to get private insurance or insurance that makes sense.

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Try Medicaid, Marketplace or see a broker.

I don’t have any health issues. When I was 22 (17 years ago) my healthcare cost was $1500 deductible, $50 copay, $160/month. If I were 22 today, it would be $6000 deductible, $30 copay, $230/month.
ACA or OdumboCare is a terrible system. Best bet is to get hired by employee that pays health insurance. Hang in there until it get repealed.

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This is a crock of horse poop! I don’t qualify for help from the state and I sure as heck cannot afford more than half my mortgage (with a tax credit mind you) just to pay for health insurance and still be able to feed my children. There needs to be help. I never had insurance and yet I still managed to pay for all my medical bills. I should not be forced to purchase something that I don’t want just because other jerks out there don’t know how to pay for their stuff. Someone needs to end this madness and find help for people like me who can’t afford to not work and now I can’t afford to work either. What am I supposed to do? Why are there no other agencies to help? Why isn’t there something else I can do? Who helps families like mine? Does anyone know?

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I feel your pay. It is a desperate situation as it is for me. I pay a health plan through my employer for my wife, daughter, and myself which is costing me $1300 a month. It is ridiculous and I can’t afford not to have it because of my wife’s health. Obamacare has destroyed what American build in so little time where employers are not obligated to cover family and only employees in their packages.
How do we make it? Barely, crawling and me looking for a second full time job. We need help and we need it fast.

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Almost $500 a month for insurance?! I’m 29 and healthy! This shit is a joke! I make under 35k a year and still don’t qualify for assistance. So much for affordable health care

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I cant afford Obama care why are so many of us left out and no one really talks about it national tragedy

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Obamacare is a sham! It is designed to increase your premiums and become unaffordable so it will fail! Don’t you get it?? I’m sorry but for the sheep that still worship that pimp…wake up and realize you have been had by your shepherd. You are screwed either way. You either have to be dirt poor to get it free or work hard enough to have a huge portion taken for healthcare so that you are dirt poor anyway. Of course by unconstitutionally making it MANDATORY to purchase what he is selling means you have no choice..HA HA HA.. Still a believer? You are in the minority my friends. Thank God that loser got out before he could do more damage!

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I don’t know, I just reviewed the Senate bill and it is pretty bad. So if you think the ACA is a shame, I can’t imagine you will like the Senate version with all its assistance cuts and tax breaks. https://obamacarefacts.com/2017/06/22/the-senate-healthcare-bill-trumpcare-explained/

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Last year I was so poor my portion of the Blue Shield premium for Silver 87 was $2.00 per month.
In Jan 2017 it jumped to $103.
Feb it increased to $203.00. No one at Covered Ca could tell me why. I’m a nurse, but my husband became disabled and requires care. Therefore I’m at home.
I began getting my less than $1000 per month from Social Security
In March 2017.
The Blue Shield plan was changed by CoveredCa to a lower benefit almost catastrophic type. Now all of my social security plus more goes to Blue Shield, Co-payments of $55 to see a doctor. I think we’re on the Trump Plan. This is not what was intended!

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I am offered health through my company. But the deductible is so high that I can not afford it. So I got the Obama care plan with my husband. Will I be penalized for it?
I am so worried. I barely make my bills each month.

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If you have access to affordable employer coverage than you don’t qualify for cost assistance. You should call healthcare.gov and explain your situation. Essentially you need to show that the employer coverage is too expensive so you can qualify for cost assistance (or you could run into trouble). You’ll likely need to get an “employee coverage tool” filled out. Because there are a few steps, I suggest contacting healthcare.gov.

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I’m 51 I cannot get Medicaid or Obama care I have no income at the moment how do I get insurance . I have back problems and go to a pain management Dr but he is fixing to turn me away because of no insurance what do I do?

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If you live in a state that didn’t expand Medicaid, and thus you can’t get Medicaid even if you have no income, then local charities are essentially one of the only answers. You could contact a public hospital and ask for direction, you could also contact your states Medicaid offices and ask them for guidance. Otherwise you could look up charities in your area.

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I’m a 50 y.o. female. We’re paying over $730/mo., which is more than our mortgage payment, for me to be covered under my husband’s policy through his employer. We simply cannot afford this and are going deeper in the hole every month. Is there absolutely NO WAY for me to cancel my insurance coverage outside of the open enrollment period? My own employer would happily reimburse me for a cheaper premium, but even they said they can’t afford to pay for my current coverage. We do not qualify for any subsidies. Besides allergies and the subsequent occasional bronchitis flare-up, I’m pretty healthy.

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Footnote about the medicaid. Although it is free to the person applying for it, it is the law that Uncle Sam attempt to recover any monies spent on that person at age 55 or when they pass away. So, if you were a single mom at age 18 and was on medicaid or food stamps or other assistance. You will find out later your big bill. Or your children will not get the life insurance you purchased for them, uncle sam gets first rights. At this time the subsidy assistance is the only thing not subject to this. But, I am sure the winds of time will do something about that.

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Actually this is sort of a myth. The only time you get hit with collections is for end of life care that exceeds a certain amount. Most states refuse to comply with this (and have for a long time), however, if you live in a state the complies with this rule and you rack up a huge amount of costs, then when your child turns 21 they may come after the estate.

This can certainly feel shady, but if you think about it it isn’t unreasonable.

But hey, you know SINGLE PAYER. Single payer wouldn’t be going after your estate.

We did a page on it.

https://obamacarefacts.com/medicaid-estate-recovery-facts-and-myths/

See also: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/eligibility/estate-recovery/index.html


Estate Recovery
Estate Recovery and Liens

State Medicaid programs must recover certain Medicaid benefits paid on behalf of a Medicaid enrollee. For individuals age 55 or older, states are required to seek recovery of payments from the individual’s estate for nursing facility services, home and community-based services, and related hospital and prescription drug services. States have the option to recover payments for all other Medicaid services provided to these individuals, except Medicare cost-sharing paid on behalf of Medicare Savings Program beneficiaries.

Under certain conditions, money remaining in a trust after a Medicaid enrollee has passed away may be used to reimburse Medicaid. States may not recover from the estate of a deceased Medicaid enrollee who is survived by a spouse, child under age 21, or blind or disabled child of any age. States are also required to establish procedures for waiving estate recovery when recovery would cause an undue hardship.

States may impose liens for Medicaid benefits incorrectly paid pursuant to a court judgment. States may also impose liens on real property during the lifetime of a Medicaid enrollee who is permanently institutionalized, except when one of the following individuals resides in the home: the spouse, child under age 21, blind or disabled child of any age, or sibling who has an equity interest in the home. The states must remove the lien when the Medicaid enrollee is discharged from the facility and returns home.”

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We did these things and still can’t afford it. Very unhelpful. What is going to happen to my family?

Our tax credit got taken away and nothing changed in our income. This just happened in MAY. We budgeted for what we agreed to in Jan and now I’m pregnant and we are going to lose our care because we honestly can’t afford it.

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I was part time student. I have to pay $20000 student loan. I had $16000 credit card debt, and $ I borrowed some from friends. I applied for coverage but affordable care was costing me $ 260 a month according to my income. my credit card debt was increasing every day. just tell me how can i afford to pay $260. Is it really affordable? now i have to pay penalty. can you believe it is affordable or people like me can afford it? rents are going high. all living cost is going high. can’t afford extra cost for insurance.

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There is a real “healthcare crisis” here (google that term).

The crisis is getting worse, there has been a lack of fixes up to this point (despite good efforts of the ACA), and yet the AHCA (TrumpCare / RyanCare) is posed to make things even worse (in my opinion).

For me the best options are the ones that seek universal coverage. There is so much to say here, check this out: https://obamacarefacts.com/2017/04/24/what-is-wrong-with-obamacare-and-how-do-we-fix-it-suggestions-for-fixing-obamacare/

On the outside it could seem like “oh great, Trump is gonna come along and fix healthcare,” but upon closer inspection I really am not seeing much in the way of fixes. At this point it is getting absurd. If Democrats aren’t happy and Republicans aren’t happy, can’t we just put our foot down a demand a solution that doesn’t stink for the majority of Americans?

Before you say “well I have employer coverage, so I’m fine” remember, “no one is ensured job security and good health for the rest of their lives”… and even if they are, it isn’t very American to have no choice but to labor for an employer until you die just to ensure your healthcare… which by the way is highly subsidized by the tax payer.

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Obamacare is so frustrating!!! Myself and my husband are hard working people who have 2 kids, ages 17 & 20. Our 20 yr old is in college and we basically live paycheck to paycheck. For the last 2 years we qualified for the tax credit and paid $950 a month for a crappy insurance coverage. The deductibles were so high that we ended up paying for all our medical care ourselves! It got to the point that we would do whatever it takes NOT to seek medical attention. This is just WRONG!! I recently received a raise which made us unqualified for the tax credit and my insurance premium is now $1800.00 a month which we cannot afford! With a daughter in college, a mortgage, car payment, bills etc… there is no way I can afford this premium. Obamacare does not allow me to change my coverage to a cheaper policy. We have tried to shop for private healthcare insurance but found out it has to be a major medical insurance policy. If it is not, we will be penalized. We are basically screwed!!! What are my options?????????

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There are no great options, but I will say that $1,800 for a family of four is on the high end. The answer here is, in some ways: “We have and had a health insurance crisis.” That means we have people who are unable to get coverage due to costs and premium costs are rising.

There are tricks, like getting a high deductible plan and maxing out an HSA, or putting money aside and paying the fee and hoping no one needs very expensive emergency care. But those aren’t great answers.

I really think Single Payer (or some sort of universal healthcare option, like a public option with an HSA) is the way to go.

Congress lives in a bubble with their protected retirement accounts and healthcare, large employers and high paid employees are in their bubble, but at some level there are the poor, middle class, and average employees who are feeling the sting.

They say “oh single payer can’t work”… but unless you get cost assistance, is it really working today?

Look into healthcare triage and the 32 other developed countries with some form of public option. We get just about the worse deal of all developed nations. Sure our care is good and country unique, but still.

Today Obama is gone and all the GOP wants to do to fix the problem is increase deductibles and remove regulations to hope insurers will drop prices. That trickle down might work a bit, but it is so far from actually helping you and your family. There are tens of millions out there like you.

The ACA was a fine start, but we need so much more. We already pay out the ear for healthcare tax-wise!

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I make about 40,000 a year but the cost of living is high in my area. And I constantly have to choose paying for insurance I don’t use over food. So I eat rice and beans and have no disposable income anymore. I don’t qualify for any subsidy

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I’m just started a new job and am not eligible for insurance benefits yet. How much gap time do I have between jobs to get insurance without facing penalties?

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Everyone gets a single gap of “less than three” months. So it essentially covers the 90 day gap while you wait for employer coverage to start, but only if it is your only gap. If you need to you can apply at healthcare.gov in the interm.

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Everyone should just stop paying for health insurance. I’m sure things would change real fast

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Obamacare is a money grab. The health care needs reformed and regulated not just throw the rediculus cost upon the people. This is what happens when you let politicians that have the best health insurance set your rates and price.

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The affordability plan in this country is an absolute joke.How am I supposed to afford healthcare coverage,pay for rent,2 children in child support payments and 160 bucks a week to a methadone clinic because im an addict in recovery.Its funny how when I was unemployed when I was an active user and now that I’m clean trying to rebuild my life I get denied medicaid because I somehow (make too much) but when I wasnt working yeah no problem everything is taken care of and I got the best healthcare better then some friends I know who make over 100 grand a year at a union job that offers premium insurance.Country is completely upside down and nobody is doing a thing to improve it.I work at a warehouse and make 10.90 an hour live in the northeast one of the most expensive places to live in the nation and am not eligible for ANYTHING for assistance that is complete B.S.

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I tried to get Obama care but if u don’t have income I can’t get it and the state of Tennessee will no expand their tencare or medicaid so what else can I do ???

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I plan to travel the country for 6 months. No job or source of income. My college health insurance ends August 1st, 3 months before I’m coming back. What can I do? It will look as if I have income because of my job before leaving to travel. I don’t dislike having insurance, I just also don’t want a fine because I want to travel.

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If you will not have a source of income you may qualify for Medicaid in your home state. If your state hasn’t expanded Medicaid, but you would have qualified for Medicaid if they had, you can apply for Medicaid and your denial letter can be used to get an exemption from the fee (and the requirement to have coverage). In addition, if your income falls below the federal tax threshold for the year or below the poverty level you won’t owe the fine for not having coverage and everyone is allowed a 3 month coverage GAP exemption.

That gives you a lot of options and anyone of them should protect you from owing the fee for not having coverage during those months. Having coverage while traveling is still important, so consider at least purchasing travelers insurance to cover you for those months.

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I always get audited cause i’m stuck not able to afford health care plans, and make too much for assistance. Can’t cut out my car cause i need it to get to work, can’t cut my cell phone cause i need it at work, can’t cut off my power, water, or trash collection. Why did this bs ever get started. So sick of being stuck paying a fine every d*** year because of this crap. It’s theft is what it is. Pure and simple theft from hard working americans struggling to live pay day to pay day and it’s beyond frustrating. I’ve even considered suicide just to avoid constantly hearing i’m being audited by the IRS. I feel legal action should be taken and all the audited money should be returned in lump sum with a formal apology from capitol hill.

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Just jumping in here to say that I am yet another who is being robbed blind by our countries taxes and health insurance. Obamacare supports NO ONE but those on welfare, at the expense of the hard working middle class.

The democrats are still trying to push the fact that Obamacare accepts preexisting conditions as a way of pulling the wool over our eyes as to how HORRENDOUS this system actually is.

$400 a month with an $8,000 dedictible? You have got to be kidding me. We are being charged whatever the hell they feel like charging, and they are penalizing us if we choose not to pay up. In what world is this not considered robbery?

Come to think of it, why do we owe you ANY of our hard earned money [taxes], if we are seeing no beneficial results from it? WE DONT.

We pay taxes, and yet we’re still charged tolls. Why?
We pay taxes, and yet we’re still charged $400-$1500+ for healthcare that is next to pointless.
State taxes gave me back $18 this year. Obummercare stole $750 from my federal return, for insurance I didn’t once use. Gee, and not so much as a thank you for copping all that money of mine?

The middle class is already burdened to death with sky high rent costs, merciless student loans, and raising prices all around. We cannot do this anymore. We are tired of lining the pockets of the government.

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This whole thing is a joke. You look at income before taxes and other fees. Then don’t count in that I’m single and have bills to pay. After bills and really paid and gas to get to my job and food I don’t have 100 a month to spend on health insurance I may use 2 times a year. Or not at all. With a rediculous deductible. Then penalize for not having coverage. Money that most Americans can use when they get their refund to pay off dept or put towards bills/savings. Figure out a solution because this whole system is a mess and NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED

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My family had to go on the exchange for the first time this year, because my provider no longer offers individual policies because of Obama Care. Now, there are only two providers to choose from on the exchange. I am self employed and my wife is employed. My wife gets insurance through work . Her single policy is reasonably priced at about 150/month. The family policy however, is at an out of this world price of $1200/mth, and this is not even a great plan, so that is not an option. FORCED to buy on the government exchange I am now paying $817 month for my two healthy daughters and myself, who is also in good health. This is the BRONZE plan, with $7500/$13300 deductible! We would have qualified for about a $200 monthly subsidy but because of a government LOOPHOLE we get nothing! Because my wife’s employer offers a family plan you get no subsidies! Even when that family plan is ridiculously priced! What a joke, it seems as though they have thought of every way possible to screw over the working person and get them to pay maximum dollar. By the way, I am paying over $300 more a month in premiums with a higher deductible, and the plan doesn’t cover all of our meds that my previous plan did. We also, had to change doctors initially, but out of sheer luck they have picked up my doctor. My wife and I make a decent living in Wisconsin, own a few rental properties and work very hard to keep what we have. I will have a daughter off to college next year and We are trying to figure out how to pay for that. Our total premium cost of $12,000 a year is simply too much and impossible for our family to afford. The mention of purchasing catastrophic policies is also a joke. That is pretty much what I am paying for RIGHT NOW! Anyway, once again the government wouldn’t allow me to buy one, because I’m too old. I’m awful glad I have a 20 trillion dollar in debt Big Brother telling me what I can and cant afford. Why is my coverage worse than someone who pays far less? I will be going off the exchange next year, so the government will have to look elsewhere for the $12000 a year that I have been contributing. I literally cannot afford to pay this much and I will not lose what I have worked the past 30 years for because of this TERRIBLE affordable Care act. $12000 a year will go a long way towards providing and protecting my family.

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I have to put food on the table first plus we all know that you get homeless service with obamacare at best and IF or when it works, now we are starting to see what happens when you let the government take power over the people and don’t forget every 2 years obamacare will go up. so, what’s next, $50 a month if you want to see your family? here in FL we need a license just to go fishing and of course that cost money too. yet we say, this is the home of the free!!! maybe it’s home of the free for the government to do as they please with people. when are we going to stop relying on the government?

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You are of course entitled to your own perspective, but I am confused about the “homeless services with Obamacare at best” and I just wanted to clarify for readers that “Obamacare” insurers are private insurers… often the same private insurers that sell insurance off-marketplace in a given region. Usually a Insurers’ provider network (and thus quality of care one can get) is the exact same providers available to those who purchase insurance on the ACA marketplace or off.

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Charles A Barraclough

It s not about heathcare it’s about money..alot of people that make well over 100000 a year and now have no insurance. they want 1500 to 2500 a month to help pay for others
I have worked 60 to 80 hours a week
For 38 years. And now I have no insurance. If I need medical .I pay for
It. If I can’t afford it is do without

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I had to leave my job because I was being harassed and discriminated against – with that I lost my health insurance. I have a lawsuit pending but we know how that goes – time and money.

When I was working, we were still living month to month because of rent, $100,000 student loan debt and other bills. When I stopped working and my income went to $0, I qualified for $0.00 help with insurance because my husband makes too much. If I want health insurance I need to be ready to pay $800 a month or more – even through Fidelis! AND I just got fined for not having it when I paid my taxes! This is a joke.

Even if I gave up my vehicles (my husband’s way of getting to work), my cable and internet and my groceries, I still couldn’t pay that and then I’d have no way of making money at all anyway!

Where else can I turn to besides Obamacare? I guess I’ll never have kids.

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You forgot the part where they get fined if they don’t sign up…

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While it is true that many face a fine if they do not have coverage (at least through 2019), but those who are low income are automatically exempt from the fee and those financial hardships are also eligible for exemptions, but you have to apply for most of them in order to have the fee waived. There are several other hardships as well, consider applying for an exemption if you are unable to afford the coverage available to you: https://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-exemptions-list/

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Andrea Weatherford

I am very afraid I have Chiari Syringomyelia. I have read what is known about Ryan Paul and the presidents new plan. My condition is chronic little is know I have taken care of my whole family until their deaths. I have a feeling of such hopelessness all I am asking is to be able to afford my medications. I have worked all my life I just did not make any money and now I being punished for being sick. WOW
GOD FORGIVE THESE PEOPLE AND HELP ME FORGIVE THEM

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Finally gave up on any medical coverage. I used to pay 170/mo before Obama care, 10 dollar doctor visits, 10 dollar prescriptions. Then it went up to 345/mo and now 504/mo just to have decent medical insurance?

I’m done.

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Try applying for an exemption so you can just get a catastrophe plan and avoid a penalty. Apply for Medicaid, save your rejection and send this as proof with your exemption application.

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Age 55-64, married, filing separately

I don’t qualify for assistance due to my income being above the ACA’s threshold (and working longer is not an option). There are no alternatives in my state.
45% of my monthly pension pays for healthcare premiums, etc., but I’m healthy and don’t use much healthcare.
I’m tempted to go without and just pay the penalty (until Medicare kicks in). It’s a risk but would be a huge cost-savings. If I do get sick, out of pocket expenses are much more affordable. As it is, I’m slowly going broke.
How will the ACA help the millions of people in this situation?

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Well, under the current system I would consider getting a bare bones bronze plan that was HSA eligible and then maxing that out.

I feel like I might be slightly confused here, as to clarify you are above the 400% poverty level and not below it, right?

Obviously the situation and advice is a little different for each, but generally: Catastrophic coverage with an HSA is a good middle ground (it almost functions like not having insurance but allows for great tax savings).

Under the Trump plan you might be better off, in that you might be able to buy even cheaper junkier HSA qualifying insurance + claim an age based tax credit. So in those ways the plan is good (and I think if we can all work on it together it could even be great-for-real).

With that said, lets put aside everything. What you want is what we all want: 1. emergency protection so you don’t go bankrupt in a worst case and 2. less costs as possible. I don’t see how anything less than a cheap HSA eligible does that if you are far over 400% with no flexibility. You can also use short term, but I don’t see how that would save you much money (and if the fee is enforced you would still incur it).

However if you are under then there is additional advice that I won’t offer here.

This is all complicated by the fact that the mandate may not be enforced. The whole repeal thing really tossed things up in the air, but as you know, they were already up there for some people anyway (of course this was also true before the law).

But really though, Single Payer catastrophic and HSAs for all would be such a better plan. But the people didn’t pick Bernie, and here we are.

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You keep suggesting to get the cheaper Bronze plan and get an HSA to subsidies it. you are ignorant to think most people have a gold or silver plan to start with. I cannot afford to pay the $817 a month for the Bronze plan! That is for myself and 2 daughters. Do you think I have money left over to put into an HSA? You are soooo out of touch.
This country better get ready to see record breaking bankruptcies! This is an economy killer!

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So, I am offering the help I can. The Republican plan focused less on assistance and more on HSAs. So “the fix” being offered would have been worse for you. I bet that isn’t what you have as a vision in your mind. Really though, check it out: https://obamacarefacts.com/the-difference-between-obamacare-and-trumpcare/

I’m not, as a person, out of touch. I am crunching numbers based on how assistance works and offering advice.

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Obamacare is designed to kill us thank you for killing the American dream single handedly

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Why would a healthcare plan kill people… that makes literally no sense.

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Desperate and Terrified

Since the beginning of 2017, I officially make less money than the poverty line (less than $11k a year), so I can no longer qualify for the tax credit. I lose money, so they increase my insurance from $50/ month to $300/ month? Because that makes sense. I live in a state that did not expand Medicaid. I am not healthy enough to get a second job, which is why I desperately need my insurance so much. But I’m not sick enough to get disability. I’m currently having to choose between paying for insurance and paying my rent. What do I do?

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If I can’t afford Obamacare what makes you think I could afford to fine that Obama said you have to pay what’s the purpose of fineing somebody who can’t afford Obamacare

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Generally if you can’t afford it that you are exempt. This is explained on form 8965 https://obamacarefacts.com/form-8965-health-coverage-exemptions/

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I want you to know this. I have paid a lot of taxes in my lifetime because I always made a good income.

I am 63 years old and lost my job on January 5th, 2017. For the first time in my life, I have no health insurance because the premiums are so high and we made a decent income last year so, that means I get no subsidies from Obama care and oh lucky me I live in Texas and cannot get Medicaid. It is a case of either buy food and pay house payment or buy health insurance. We elected not to starve.

I had cancer 4 years ago consequently I have no money in the bank because of medical expenses. My wife and I can barely make ends meet.
I get checked by Md Anderson every 6 months to make sure it is not coming back. I can no longer afford to go. So, I guess I will just have to roll the dice.

I have paid taxes my whole life. Now when my wife and I need help I cannot get. it is so ironic that only the people who have never paid taxes can get subsidized health insurance.

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This Obamacare is a big fat lie. Why would my coverage be $400 per month and my friend who has two kids is $30? Uh, wth? I earn $6000 per year. That’s right six thousand dollars per year. I enjoy getting to pay no FINE on my federal taxes every year. Fly a big flipping kite, and quit expecting people to willingly feed you their information into your database for who knows what.

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This explanation is pure BS to someone who works 15 hrs per week @ minimum wage. Obamacare sucks for the poorest of the poor and my great state of GA hasn’t bought in to Medicaid’s, so I’m screwed by both political parties, as I continue to hunt for full-time employment opportunities with a BSBA degree.
What a let-down program. I’d be better off enlisting in the Armed Forces.

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You are right in that TRICARE is actually a good healthcare program. Amazing what happens when an institution puts healthcare before politics. Although, VA isn’t as impressive, so I don’t wanna get too ahead of myself.

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Our government is such a freaking joke. I make $22,00 a year. The government takes 16% out of each paycheck I earn. Which leaves me with about $1,700 a month.

I have to pay for rent ($525), car payment ($325), car insurance ($165) ,gas ($120) utilities ($80), internet ($65), groceries ($250), phone bill ($75).

This adds up to $1,605 a month. Which leaves me with a whopping extra $95 per month to buy anything else. Now I don’t get my tax refund because I couldn’t afford 1 more bill. If fact now I owe $200 this year on taxes now.

I’m struggling to even pay my monthly bills. Now the IRS says I owe them after robbing me of 16% of my total income for the year. The system is completely broken!

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The healthcare tax penalty feels like a punishment. I’ve been struggling to stay on top of my bills with just the minimum payments each month and cannot afford to pay for health coverage. My job does not offer health coverage. I don’t qualify for financial assistance because I make a little too much per year. I don’t have kids so I guess I’m being punished for that too since that’s another way to get reduced cost health coverage. I don’t qualify in the other areas that are mentioned as ways of getting reduced cost coverage. I have “successfully” been struggling with my debt before this new health regime came into play a few years ago and would love to get coverage but I CANT AFFORD ANOTHER EXPENSE!!!! I already pay to see my doctors, pay the lab bills and pay for whatever prescriptions I need out of pocket. Why give a penalty for people that want to try to work their way out of debt without declaring bankruptcy? It’s like the government is giving it to us on both ends….We stressfully manage to pay for our health care out of pocket but because we don’t sign up for something that will DEFINITELY put us further in debt, we get hit with a penalty at tax time. ITS UNFAIR TO ASK PEOPLE TO GO INTO FURTHER DEBT FOR HEALTH COVERAGE THEY CANNOT AFFORD!!!!! Again, some of us want health coverage but we fall into this bracket of people that CANNOT AFFORD IT!!!!! ITS IS NOT AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE!!!!!!! I’m VERY FRUSTRATED AS I TRY TO GET COVERAGE EVERY YEAR AND DON’T HAVE A WAY TO GET SOMETHING “AFFORDABLE”. I just called and spoke to someone about getting the tax penalty waived somehow and was told to look into an 8965 health coverage exemption form. It still seems like someone else is deciding for me what I can afford.

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Good luck with getting anything free if you a working class citizen… grrrr. My dh and I work full time and can’t afford this damn obamacare health insurance. It’s absolutely crazy. More than my mortgage. I think they want normal people to quit there damn job and go on welfare. NOT in a million years!!! I have worked for anything I ever wanted or needed. But can’t afford health insurance anymore. So pissed right now…….

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Single mom of two grade school aged kids. I make $11 an hour, work 35 hours a week, and get $560 a month in child support. I had to turn down a $1 an hour raise because I would lose my Medicaid health insurance completely if I made just one more dollar an hour! That raise would certainly not offset any of the “affordable” healthcare plans. I would have to double my income to afford real insurance. So what will I do? Keep my crappy yet flexible job close to home and my 100% free insurance because f*** Obama. Medicaid used to be tiered so you could work your way up in a company while paying in just a little more each month to Medicaid until you finally could afford to get off it. Not anymore! Now I’m stuck on it while racking up interest on my student loans which obviously I can’t afford to make payments on. So much for the land of opportunity…

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OBamacrap is sh!t. I make too much hourly and after bills, expenses and child support (which is about the same as my monthly premium), my wife (disabled) and I live off ramen and potatoes and thats if we are lucky. Every single week we stress about gas money just to make it to work. It would be a lot easier if we werent taxed for everything and then penalized (taxed some more), for not being able to afford “health insurance”. I don’t get why I have to pay for lazy no good sh1tsticks, like obama and all his look like they are working piece of shit politician buddies as well as the too damn lazy to work a$$holes in the U.S.

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I may be forced to pay 2400 in fines because I did not have health insurance for 4 months after being forced to resign from my job or be fired because I was out of work to long, due to battling with mental health issues after having a friend commit suicide. I had severe depression before losing my job due to the death of my friend, and this only compounded the problem, plus I lost medical coverage. I did not receive Unemployment until a month and a half after losing my job, so all of my bills were backed up. When my unemployment came in I wasn’t thinking about medical coverage, just getting my life back in order. Medicaid would not have worked because I don’t believe I need free medical insurance, other people are in much more worst situation; plus I was only without income for a month, and my unemployment would disqualify me for medicaid. I did eventually apply for obamacare and even with the assistance, I wouldn’t be able to pay the premium due to all of my other bills. But their is no exemption for my situation. So I’m forced to pay that ridiculous amount when I will barely make $33,000 this year?? How does that make any sense? I have no income in my savings and have loan companies calling me daily looking for money. Just got a new job this month, IDK how this makes any sense. Not to mention they want you to pay the higher amount of the 2.5% or $695 a month.

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Some people seem to be getting the amount of the penalty wrong; it’s 2.5% or $695 ANNUALLY divided 1/12 for every month you are without insurance. So if you made $40,000 for the year and did not have health insurance for 4 months, your penalty is $333.33 ($1,000 / 12 * 4) or if you made $30,000 your penalty is $250.00 ($750 / 12 * 4) or if you made $25,000 the penalty will be $231.66 ($695 / 12 * 4). The last one is an insult because it really penalizes the poor. I am a republican believer in some type of ACA but this plan harms the poorest of poor if they don’t sign up; particularly those who have some kind of illness or financial situation that precludes them from acting wisely. I live in Massachusetts where we have a decent program but I became unemployed in June of 2016 and did not get approved for unemployment for 8 weeks and could not afford COBRA. I went 4 months without insurance. I’m only working a temporary job right now at $16.50 an hour because I can’t find anything better and I have an MBA (that’s what we call 4.8% unemployment). So basically, I get a giant F-U. I’m sorry, but it’s shameful for people making $35,000 to go broke with crappy insurance and any kind of illness while others who work part time or not at all do better. It’s not a fair system. And don’t give me that “Jones” crap. In the meantime, our Democrat Speaker of the House just voted himself a nice $45,000 pay raise and I can’t find a job making that much in a year. THIS IS WHY TRUMP WON. That’s my $.02… thought I would try to be somewhat constructive.

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The Struggle Is Real

Complete BS. I’m a full time Engineering student with no outside help other than student loans, making less than $14k a year with two jobs and my lowest cost option is STILL $200/month. It’s absolutely impossible to afford.

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So, by the book, $14k a year, you qualify for dirt cheap coverage… you didn’t fill out the form right or are citing employer coverage. Simply, you are not correct in your assessment and this is provable with little more than this chart: https://obamacarefacts.com/2016-2017-federal-poverty-guidelines/

The struggle for you then… it is not real.

You are misunderstanding your options. Your cost should be like, no kidding here, $30 a month or so with limited out-of-pocket costs (rough estimate based on your family size and income).

Well I mean, that was before everyone voted for Trump. Repeal and replace will change things. The struggle for you, as one who seems to be going into the Trump era without coverage, may get real real. As you may not have coverage options.

Do yourself a favor, sign up at healthcare.gov with cost assistance by midnight on Tuesday January 31st, 2017 (today).

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I live in the SF Bay Area and after rent, food, phone, utilities, transportation I pay about $2000 and make about $2300. That leaves me with $300 for dining out, entertainment, medicine, clothes or whatever sudden costs spring up. I make twice as much as poverty level so I don’t qualify for Medi-Cal (CA version of MediCaid). When I fill out application for Covered California( CA version of “affordable” care act) it says the lowest per month plan is $350 a month and that is with $75 co pays and big deductibles. I tried that last year and had to stop because I was falling behind. What can I do? I have some skin condition and can’t get help!!

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Just say you roughly made 16,000 in 2016 can you still qualify for Obamacare?

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Not in most states. If your income projections are vastly different from your previous years income, then you’ll likely need to demonstrate that you had a change to your financial situation. On top of that, you’d be expected to pay back any tax credits you received or, in the case on Medicaid, you could be prosecuted for fraud and face huge financial penalties.

It’s best to be as honest as you can be and estimate as close as possible.

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Shame on the IRS and the federal government in general for extorting the American people under this unfair and corrupt law.

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My husband and I have 5 children. One of our children are severely disabled and is on Medicaid and CAPC. However, a plan for myself (a former cancer patient), my husband and children will cost over $700.00 a month. My husband makes $6000.00 a month. There is NO way we can afford that bill. What can our family do? I also, have two children with asthma and one who struggles with anemia. They need care. A couple of our kids have cavities we can’t afford to have repaired.

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I got exemption last year but I cannot get one this year. My situation has not changed from last year. I don’t understand it

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Some exemption are subject to change, if you explain which one we might be able to offer insight.

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So this all means because the government thinks its “affordable” i have to pay even though it really isn’t for me because I pay a mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, food, gas for my vehicle so I can get to my job where i work 40 hours per week for $15.00 per hour. I get paid twice a month. Yes my gross income is approximately $2,400 per month, however, my take home pay after taxes (the only thing i have taken out of my check) is $1,680 per month. My living expenses are: $1,350 mortgage, property taxes, homeowners insurance, $90 electricity (that’s with the low income discount; thanks to the recent utility increase), $60 car insurance, $40 gas for my vehicle so i can get back and forth to work, $30 water. This leaves me with approximately $27 a week for food. Oh but wait, the lowest health insurance i can get is $83 per month so I guess I’ll go on a severe diet because that leaves me $6.75 a MONTH for food! Oh I guess I could sell my house, but why? Because the government thinks this is all Affordable?!

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What do you do if you cant afford health insurance and the state also denies you health insurance? What about coverage for a young child being denied by the state? I make very little monthly income….

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I love Obamacare! Wish it wasn’t going away 🙁

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Couldn’t afford insurance because I didn’t have a job. Finally got a job and insurance and penalized for not having insurance the months I did not have a job. Thanks Obama for taking my ENTIRE tax return!

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Hey, people you want real advice?? Get out there and demand change! Get big money out of politics, make it illegal to be a billionaire! Come on people! Wake up!

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our household of 4 makes maybe 28000 a year. my kids are covered; but my husband and i have to come up with 400+ a month for insurance. how can that be affordable when i have a house payment, utilities bills, KIDS…..

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William Thomas Palmer

This is a joke $350 dollars for the Obama care. I only have $150.00 left after I pay my bills every two weeks. I assume they want to to just not pay a bill, walk to work because I won’t be able to afford gas to get there, and not to mention I work at ten different buildings a night. Fuck I’m already on the Obama diet all I have to say is Fuck you Obama and all you bitches that thinks it’s okay to work at a job that screws people over everyday. If this shit don’t go away I will be moving the fuck out of the crap ass country! I’LL NEVER PAY $350.00 FOR SOMETHING I CAN’T AFFORD AND WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO USE! TAKE THIS OBAMACARE, AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR FUCKING ASS!

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What if you do not want healthcare? Is it really a law to have healthcare?! Why is his being shoved down our throats. How can you charge someone for not having healthcare? That is insane!

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If you can’t pay auto insurance, you don’t own a car. That makes sense. But what happens when you can’t pay health insurance these days? Based on our income, we are told we can afford “xyz” health insurance. Really? I say, Please Show me how! My husband and I pay over 800 a month in healthcare with premiums and out of pocket plus dental and eye care that aren’t even covered. We pay all this out and still pay more because we haven’t met a deductible. We are struggling to pay health insurance. We have never been so much in debt as we are right now. Non of these options have helped me so far. And I may even be penalized from last year because I couldn’t afford it for a few months (and still can’t). Which is humorous. I’m going to owe money for NOT having money. Looking for a real solutions. Please help!

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I pray to god that something works out for all of us. I pray that some how I will be able to support my family.
I have never been without health coverage but since losing my job a few months ago and just got benefits from my current employer, premiums are over out affordability measures.
My wife has health issues and she is not covered by her employer so I have to add her and our daughter to my plan. That plan is $1300 a month. LORD I beg of you!

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Patricia Lynn Arnold

Im having great difficulty meating my deductible in order to get my medicine. They asking 200.for deductible n 50.00 copay for savella scrip. Im so afraid

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Last year I made about $2000 (Full Time Student) – But the lowest cost is $350/month which is about 250% more than I make a month.

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Generally people in your income bracket are best off with Medicaid. The full-price plans are going to be unaffordable without cost assistance and you don’t make enough for tax credits.

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“There isn’t always a good answer to not being able to afford coverage, but..” and ” it’s of course not an easy question to answer, and we feel for people finding themselves in this position…” Please, spare readers the platitudes. The fact is that very many families and individuals are BARELY surviving as it is, and being REQUIRED to pay an additional health care tax when we can’t make ends meet living the most humble lives already is criminal.

No, there isn’t “always a good answer to not being able to afford coverage” so long as one is FORCED to accept coverage. Some of us have already resigned ourselves to just dying if/when we get sick b/c we can’t afford treatment and we can’t afford coverage. At least we’d rather die without the additional threats for not paying yet another bill we didn’t elect and we simply cannot afford. In the meantime, please don’t pour salt on the would with saccharine, specious, vacuous expressions of pity.

Sorry for any negative consequences of an Obamacare repeal for those who are benefitting from the so-called Affordable Healthcare Act, but many of us who’re barely staying alive as is realize no one’s out there for us anyway, so we just can’t subsidize other people’s healthcare. Good luck, everybody.

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Tens of millions of lives on the line, lots of middle class struggling with costs, lots of poor struggling with health, a giant healthcare economy, and a politicized law. I get the frustration, but we aren’t “placating” we are trying to illustrate to all sides that this complex issue is rough on many but not something that can be solved with all-or-nothing purely Republican or Democratic solutions.

Even in your valid message, you are politicizing the law as much as we were placating. But it simply isn’t “all good” or “all bad”, just look at all the different types of comments.

If a government can’t address healthcare? What is the point? Healthcare, education, and other basics are 100% in the scope of government. These are basics. We can’t just replace with nothing.

I can’t remove my empathy, not with a struggling middle class and millions of sick and suffering. We can and must do better.

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You’re not paying attention to what people in this comment section are saying. If ACA works for YOU, congratulations. It doesn’t work for others of us. Period. You may call that politicizing, but I disagree. I’ve been independent my whole voting life, and while it’s inevitable to include politics in broad social policy discussions, the objections in this comment section concern largely families’ (and individuals’) inability to pay premiums/copays/deductibles (not mere disinterest in paying these). It is not a matter of priority, but rather of literal survival–which many of us are not doing. The comments here only scratch the surface of how much citizens are suffering from fees/taxes/bills we’re required to pay but don’t have the funds to finance.

It’s time to throw out ACA. Your responses to people sharing that they are dying slowly from the ever growing bills–of which this is yet another FORCED onto us–are largely hollow, no offense meant. I am firmly behind efforts to repeal ACA. Yes, I would like some type of health care in place, but if I cannot afford it AND am required to pay for it nonetheless, then that is worse than not having healthcare and not being penalized for the fact I can’t afford it. Either way, I can’t afford to seek medical help AND, as you’ve demonstrated in the answers to the desperate pleas here, for very, very many of us there are no solutions besides squeezing blood from stones.

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Listen, I do get and respect those points. However, what I think some don’t get is that there are real tens of millions got covered for the first time under the ACA. I’ve met people who have had their lives saved.

Do I care about the economics of the middle class? Of course I do! I grew up middle class, why would I not care?

Will I sit here and not play Devil’s advocate when you try to put yourself about the sick, suffering, and poor though? Nope. That is not going to happen, no point in asking for it or expecting it.

Feel free to throw accusations at me, but I read too many comments each day to take the viewpoint of only one. I know many sides of this, left right, this ideology that one, this class that one.

On a page where everyone says “oh no, i’m the victim, healthcare isn’t in my budget” i’m like “yes! Exactly the problem the other family is having”.

It matters that ANYONE doesn’t have access to affordable coverage. The difference is, the family on Medicaid, they aren’t calling to have your coverage taken away, they are just praying you don’t call to have theirs taken away.

We need reform, we personally wanted single payer, but we can’t be expected to just concede with one viewpoint. Still, read the thread, we advise and empathize (and are skewered for both) pretty consistently.

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Hi, read my comment. I make six-thousand per year and only qualify for $400 per month policies. I am healthy.

Really? it cant be fixed huh? take look at denmark and they’re healthcare coverage and follow suit.Please dont give us that B.S that it cannot be fixed because it can but the greedy politicians in office dont want to have to go without their yachts and vacations.Pretty sad born WORKING Americans are actually thinking of moving out of the supposible “greatest country” over the government robbing its Citizens Blind weather its being in bed with the Greedy coporate insurance companies or taking tax returns from people who cannot afford a monthly health insurance premium..thats sick.Btw would LOVE to know the type of paycheck the people that support or put these policies in place I guarantee you all of em make at minimum 200k a year.

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I don’t think we would have claimed that things “can’t be fixed”, our whole goal here is to help people understand the ACA so we can move forward toward “fixing” our healthcare system.

If you google “single payer”, you’ll find this page: https://obamacarefacts.com/single-payer/ (lots of useful resources there).

Not tooting our own horn, but rather illustrating that we are actually part of the effort to continually reform our nation’s healthcare system for the good of the people.

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Its over $400 for the cheapest plan in my state, with my income. I’m over thirty, single, and make less than 30K a year. I get discounts, but even if I used just half of that per month, I’d have to pay back $2400! That’s a 10th of my annual income! How am I suppose to pay that?! And I find out that if I don’t have coverage I owe you $700!? I was denied medicaid because I earn too much, and my job doesn’t have insurance options for me! I cannot afford this, if I don’t take the discounts I have to pay nearly a 1/4 of my monthly income, and if I do take the discounts I have to pay back 10 to 20% of my yearly income back to the system. How is this fair?!

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Car loan, rent, food, bills, student loan, Gas and some how I can afford a 220$ a month insurance???? What is this? On top of that I get penalized if I don’t have coverage!?!?!? I don’t get it, if I had enough to pay for health care I’d have it! I have insurance for dental and vision because they are 14$ a month and I actually use them! Even if I was to get insurance the copays are so high I’d never use it! Why do they use Gross income? That’s not how much I actually see! No one gets 100% of their paid in taxes back. I’m so lost as to why this is actually a thing. I’m 21, just got out of school, Starting my career and I’m already drowning, kick me down some more why don’t you?

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If me and my husband divorce but remain at the same address can I then get Obamacare using just my income? Or will they make me still include his income? We have a large IRS bill coming up that we cannot pay and keep paying for Obamacare. His job insures him but not me. I have had a couple heart attacks about 8 years ago so don’t want to chance no insurance. We are in California.
Any other suggestions?

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You all got what you wanted now. Trump in power, all sick people without money can just drop dead.

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WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY CAN’T AFFORD EVEN THE LOWEST HEALTH PLAN COVERAGE, AND THERE STATE DOESN’T HAVE THE EXTENDED MEDICAID SERVICE? THEY JUST FALL BETWEEN THE CRACKS HUH??

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me and my wife between us we can pay our bills only just barely i even had health insurance but my hours were cut just enough that we had to drop our health insurance provided by my company i was working with
now were getting mail saying we have to sign up for this but we still cant afford it
we’ve already looked at coverage’s they’re more expensive than what my place of work was offering and we just cant afford it
if we’re still not exempt from this are we going to be forced into debt to have this health insurance?

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Everybody can’t get Medicaid I make to much to be considered able I’m a 100 above being able to do bitch what you want us to be lazy

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I always said damn you Obama this is the most stupid thing you could have done of course the rich rarely get penalized because they could afford health insurance but to the lower class I can’t get ahead worth a damn you uncle Tom piece of shit

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I have no income yet was eligible for coverage thru exchange. 525 A MONTH AND 3500 DEDUCTIBLE! I had coverage thru Parkland healthcareplus, but now I cant get it because I wasnt denied by exchange, which according to an agent never happens. Now I cant get to see my doctor or get my perscriptions.

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I have to many bills i can’t afford another one I can’t get medicaid or medicare even if i could afford insurance if something happened I couldn’t afford the 10.000 dollar deductible so why have it it would do me no good then they take my refund it’s rediculous I can’t believe people think Obama care is good

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I’m a senior with diabetes and can’t afford health insurance.one simple reason I MAKE TO MUCH!
I’ll take a minute to explain.with my pension and S.S. and my wife has a part time seasonal job we make to much to qulify for any assistance programs.due to both of our health problems we were never able to have children so just two in household.
With our house payment car note and all other monthly bills there is nothing left.Our house is now in for closer.
Don’t know where to turn?

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Both my husband and I work, we have 4 children. He has insurance through his employer, but I do not. Both income combined, we make enough to get by. If I start having to pay the monthly premium we will have no gas or grocery money left, but I don’t qualify for any assistance. I don’t know what to do.

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I am in Ohio . Could not afford it last year and can’t afford 2017 either. What a joke. I do not qualify for subsidies. Who can honestly afford a $400+ a month payment???? Thats a car payment.There are no special credits to use. It is what it is. The deductibles are a joke.How is this crap legal????The plans on the site do not offer any out of network coverage which there is always an out of network service somehow that sneaks in .Who has 10grand laying around for a deductible. I should really stay at home and live off of the government. What the hell am I working for.

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Prior to the ACA many people faced premiums over $700 for an individual (with $5,000+ deductibles) due to discrimination based on pre-existing conditions (“conditions” which included things like seasonal allergies, migraines, and rape). I know that this little bit of information probably doesn’t make you feel any better about your $400/month insurance, which I agree is still too much, but for those of us who faced insanely high premiums or no coverage options at all prior to the ACA… $400 seems like a steal.

The projections for premium increased in the very near future is looking pretty bleak for everyone. Everyone will feel the weight of a strained safety net as federal funding that pays for skyrocketing premiums also skyrockets.

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We don’t qualify for any assistance. If we purchase a high deductible plan- it is double our mortgage. We don’t have that kind of money. My son is hurt and we can’t get any care because of no insurance. We are married, working, healthy and yet cannot afford any of these “options”. What are we supposed to do?

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There are real families in this situation, and aside “get an HSA with a sliver plan and shop around” there isn’t much solid advice as to how to combat high costs without cost assistance. No perfect answer today, but not sure there was a perfect answer before the law either.

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Yes there is y’all is retarded cancel this or we could petition to get this out of here cause he messed up everything with this if you knew people was barely getting by already my job offers health insurance for 200 a month that’s bs what about real fuckin bills fuck that health insurance shit we all gonna die anyway I’ll rather die living decent in a place than paying for health insurance with no place

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“Hopefully other people will post some suggestions below” ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS CRAP??? YOU TOOK MY AND MY KID’S INSURANCE AWAY FROM US AND YOU TELL US WE HAVE TO PAY ALMOST $800 PER MONTH FOR 2 PEOPLE WITH A $10000 DEDUCTABLE AND THE BEST ANSWER YOU CAN GIVE A SINGLE DISABLED PARENT WHO CANNOT AFFORD THIS CRAP IS “HOPEFULLY OTHER PEOPLE WILL POST SOME SUGGESTIONS BELOW”… FREAKING AMAZING THE HEAPING STEAMING PILE OF CRAP THAT IS THE OBUMMER ADMINISTRATION. WELCOME PRESIDENT TRUMP, PLEASE FIX THIS DISASTER FOR AMERICA

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I am a single 27 year old woman with yearly income of just under $13,000. Marketplace sent back a number so I won’t be fined on taxes and said I quality for MS Medicaid but that the state of MS doesn’t offer it to me since I have no children and am not pregnant. What other options are there for me?

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So I applied, I am an independent this year (yay, guess that means I am an adult now), I don’t have enough income, I receive no premium tax credit to help pay for my healthcare plan through the Healthcare.gov but also can’t afford it because I have bills and just paying for a plan that is over $200 doesn’t allow me to pay for my bills, and to top it all off I apparently can’t receive medicaid because I don’t make enough. What am I supposed to do?

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So now we are in 2017.
Last year I worked as a caterer for events. I basically worked via word of mouth. After developing Tendonitis in both arms(repetitive chopping)and major lower back pain(from constantly stooping due to my excessive height 6′ 7″), I was unable to work for 6 months last year. I grossed 12k.
Without insurance I reluctantly applied for Public Assistance and Medicaid(it was a humiliating process). I was immediately denied Medicaid because I didn’t have any children! Now I was raised with the thought process of not creating “unwanted babies”. I live in Texas and I applied for a total of SIX times and was denied everytime! So, I can’t afford health insurance and I cannot get Medicaid because I don’t believe in making babies to burden the world… It’s a messed up situation.
You’re given special treatment for having lots of babies but screwed for being responsible??? Meanwhile, seeing migrant workers and legal citizens driving pricy brand new vehicles and dropping their pregnant wives off at State funded hospitals to get FREE medical???
I thought Public Assistance was their if at some point you need it. Instead, those who REALLY need it are denied.

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I lost my job in December and have no job in 2017, I was denied assistance because I’m making $0 this year, plus my state doesn’t offer Medicaid. I was told to check out a clinic…? Really?

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Don’t worry all, you don’t qualify if you don’t have a job and can’t hold one down because you need health care either. At least in PeeAay.
Thanks barry.

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I am so disgusted. I lose my ENTIRE tax return every year because I am penalized for not being able to afford coverage. My tax return is usually used to pay a TAX BILL!!!
THIS IS INSANE. I make about 15,000 a year. Why are people be punished for being poor?!?!

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If your state has expanded Medicaid, you can enroll anytime. If not, you can qualify for an exemption from the requirement to have health insurance by being denied Medicaid. There are also other hardship exemptions you can apply for through healthcare.gov.

Also, if your income were below the filing threshold, there’s an automatic exemption. From the IRS: “If your income is below the filing threshold for your filing status and you choose to file a tax return, use Part II of Form 8965, Coverage Exemptions for Your Household Claimed on Your Return, to claim a coverage exemption. You should not make a shared responsibility payment if you are exempt from the coverage requirement because you have income below the filing threshold.

I hope that you find a solution that works for you.

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My employer dropped our insurance when obamacare came in .now I have no insurance because I can’t afford the affordable care insurance. I am sick and hurting ,but I can’t go to the doctor. I have bills that I have to pay each.month and have no extra money .when I get my income taxs I get penalized for not having insurance. My tax refund was the way I paid my land taxs and purchased propane gas to heatr my home now that’s been affect. Just who is this affordable for.

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By the time I pay taxes, bills, and rent I barely have enough to eat and put gas in the car to go to work. I’ve tried Healthcare.gov and I still can’t find anything I can afford and I’m told I don’t qualify for Medicaid.

What is a person in my situation suppose to do?

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Forget Obamacare. Join a Healthcare Ministry. You will be exempt from the obamacare penalty. http://www.samaritanministries.org

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Healthcare Sharing Ministries are a good choice for some people. They aren’t considered insurance, so they aren’t required to provide the same type of coverage. They can cancel your plan at anytime and tend to do so if you’ve violated the agreement to healthy living/faith they require. I know some people for whom are very happy with their healthcare sharing ministry and it matches their lifestyle choices and values. Some have reported getting dropped unexpectedly or unfairly, so be sure to tell people you give that advice to that they need to actually share the values and live the lifestyle or they are definitely taking a big risk.

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Happy Obama is Leaving

If OBAMACARE is SO good, why doesn’t Barack, Michelle and the girls go on it. I work for a large company and have insurance, for which I am grateful and blessed…HOWEVER, I just had an MRI…with insurance $3800, but if I chose to pay cash, it as only $382! OBAMACARE has jacked up the insurance so much that many of the major insurance companies are bailing out too!

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The term “AFFORDABLE” Health care Act is a complete joke. I work 44 hrs per week, every week. I make about $32,500 per year and the least I could possible pay in monthly premiums is about $265 per month, with a 4k-5k deductible for myself. I’m a single parent..I have to keep a roof over my son’s head, clothes on his back, shoes on his feet, food on the table, electricity, heat a water. I can’t even afford cable. Its completely ridiculous.. they expect you to pay $300 per month in premiums and still be unable to go to the doctor, because you cannot afford to pay 4k-5k out of pocket before the insurance even picks up small amounts of the costs. I personally have an autoimmune condition and several other health issues as a result. I now have no insurance and had to stop all meds, because I’m considered to make too much for help from Medicaid a the “subsidy” from the marketplace is a completely useless $58. I basically just have to wait to get so ill that I’m hospitalized and hope I can make it to a county hospital in time, then if I make it out, look forward to thousands of dollars in medical bills. Its such a shame the way this country is run. The government will help with all kinds of things if you choose to not work and just stay home to have children or work a few hours per week, but severely punishes anyone who tries to do right and work to support themselves and their family. I personally know many women who don’t work, or work a few hours per week, but are given subsidized homes in the suburbs, utility allotments monthly, help purchasing and/or fixing vehicles, FULL coverage Medicaid, food assistance and free child care. Yet, I work 40+ hours per week, have a degree that I’m paying loans on and can’t get anything but fined for not having enough to afford my medications, let alone pay $260 a month for coverage that is completely useless. The good old USA, where you’re punished for trying to do right. Something needs to be done… but I guess that one way to depopulate the planet in their eyes, can’t afford you meds, can’t afford to go to the doctor, so eventually you’ll be one less person here to bother them about trying to find a way to afford to stay alive… Especially when the local government already has poisoned the water supply for years.

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I needed medical treatment so I went to an urgent care walk in clinic. Result was a prescription for antibiotic and ibuprofen, I have infection in my teeth. I don’t have any medical insurance and I paid for my visit to a doctor and I went in knowing exactly what was wrong and knowing exactly what I needed. So should I be penalized for not having health insurance? Financial situation is I have a job but if it weren’t for a kind relative letting me rent a room I would be homeless. Seems my Gross income is just over the cap for medical through welfare and it’s not available through my employer. There should be an exemption for people who actually pay for medical when they need it or in my case when they save up to have funds for it.

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Have you tried applying for Marketplace insurance? If your employer doesn’t offer insurance then you would be eligible for cost assistance for premiums and potentially for deductibles and copays too (given you described being just over the income for Medicaid eligibility?). However, if the least expensive insurance you are offered is more than 8.13% of your families income you can apply for an exemption from the requirement to have insurance and you wouldn’t owe the fee. You must apply at Healthcare.gov.

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Hello, I’m 26 and I do not have a stable enough job to pay for insurance. What’s the better option, not getting health insurance or paying the $185/month health insurance that North Carolina says is the cheapest plan I can get.

I cannot afford $185 a month.

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Family of 3, making $45k a year in Michigan. Lowest plan I can get is $565 a month, which is more than my mortgage. Please explain how I am supposed to afford that.

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It isn’t. Those numbers mean the cheapest plan you are being offered is 15% of income. Anyone whose cheapest plan is over 8.13% of income can apply for an affordability exemption through healthcare.gov and would be exempt from the requirement to have insurance or owe the fee. Unfortunately, it appears you also make just a little to much to be eligible for CHIP in Michigan (212% FPL or $42,739 for a family of 3). CHIP eligibility is based on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) though. This is lower than your gross and there are a number of ways to reduce your MAGI score, so that maybe a way for you to get your children coverage through CHIP in Michigan. In addition, the cost assistance you are eligible for on the Marketplace is also based on MAGI, so you’d be eligible for more cost assistance to cover yourself on a marketplace plan to just cover yourself. I hope that this information helps.

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I can’t wait to move out of this country. Look at the statistics for most other countries and you will see that insurance is either free or less than half the cost it is in America. I am a student in college and have a part time job and there is just no way I can afford ANY type of insurance. I can’t afford to even eat some times. Insurance in this company is a giant money making scheme between the government and insurance companies designed to keep poor people poor and rich people rich…. maybe more people will move to other countries like me instead of throwing more money into these greedy rich peoples pockets. I refuse to help insurance companies profit off of the suffering of others.

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All these options are not acceptable. If someone has a high deductible, they most likely will not be able to pay the deductible. This country must stop fleecing its citizens on something as important as health care. Even with insurance, I found myself instantly $800 in debt because of an emergency rm visit. All I needed was some anti anxiety meds until I was able to c a Dr. That visit was $2300!!! My ins paid $1500. That was March 2016. I’m still trying to pay this off. Most dental ins is so poor that people are afraid to go because they will immediately be thrust into debt. The negative BS we are given about European healthcare is just that.. BS. I have family in Europe and there is no problem.

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I only make 750 Dollars a month, How do I get Obama Care and then how do I pay for my doctor visits and the high detectable when i have to go to the hospital.
So I am forced to have Obama Care but will not be able to pay when I get sick. or even pay just to go and see a doctor or even pay for medicine. What type of insurance is this.

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Your income is low enough that if your state has expanded Medicaid you’d qualify for free insurance. If your state hasn’t expanded Medicaid, than you would need to be able to project income over 100% of the Federal Poverty Level to gain access to the health insurance Marketplace, but that insurance would be highly subsidized. You’d qualify for Premium Tax Credits (which sometimes means there are plans that cost you nothing) and you’d qualify for cost sharing reduction subsidies which would be paid to your insurer to reduce your Deductible and Copays and out-of-pocket maximum for Silver Plans. For example, a plan that normally has a $5,000 deductible, a $10,000 out-of-pocket maximum, and $25 copays might end up having only a $250 deductible, a $500 out-of-pocket maximum, and $1 copays. This is just an example, insurers are given a little leeway with how they spread the Cost sharing reduction subsidies, but they must meet certain criteria (Silver Plans that cover costs like a Gold or Platinum plan). All of the plans will also cover required amount of preventative care at no cost before deductible.

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I make 52000/year my new monthly cost is 425.00/month with a 6500 deductible . i cannot receive any assistance so I will pay 11600.00 before the insurance company pays a dime.That is almost 28% of my salary after taxes I will have to go without insurance because this system does not work. Does that really help keep everyone insured .

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It is definitely a problem that premiums and deductibles continue to rise faster than incomes, especially for those who aren’t eligible for any cost assistance. They are required to cover the preventative care and an annual primary care visit at no cost before deductible. I know that doesn’t solve all of your financial issues in this case, but you should take advantage of that care. Additionally, if the insurance you are eligible for costs more than 8.13% you can qualify for an exemption from the mandate to have insurance or pay a fee. It doesn’t ensure you are covered in the case of a catastrophe, but you could then choose a catastrophic health plan with lower premiums (and still get the preventative care at no cost before deductible) or simply cross your fingers and use the money to pay for your care out of pocket.

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It’s ridiculous. How are we supposed to get decent health insurance when you can’t go above $150 a month? I’m unemployed and most likely won’t be able to work again. My husband only makes $14.00 an hour. I’m getting top pay with unemployment but it still is very small. I wanted to get disability but I need money now. Can’t wait for disability to kick in. By law you can not be collecting unemployment while working on disability. I don’t know how the government expects people to survive. I can’t survive on my penny jar. I can’t get insurance with pre existing conditions for a low income wife and husband. Anyone have any ideas? I’ve been searching since September .2016

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Under the ACA no insurer can deny you or charge more for per-existing conditions. Assuming your spouse’s employer isn’t offering you employer sponsored coverage, you should be able to get cost assistance for health insurance premiums and cost sharing reduction subsidies to reduce the deductible and copays. While it might not be below $150 a month (depends on your region, income, and the average cost of the second lowest silver plan in your area for the year). If your income is low enough and you live in a state that has expanded Medicaid, you’ll qualify for free health insurance from Medicaid and it appears that your family’s income is low enough. So, you should start there. Just FYI, once you do get on disability, you’ll be eligible for Medicare, but that is also not free. Medicare deducts premiums directly out of SSDI pay and you’ll have copays and deductibles too. If your income is low enough, you may qualify for Medicaid as a supplemental insurance, but in most states (check your state) you must “spend down” your income to 100% the federal poverty level on medical expenses before Medicaid steps in.

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Just want to throw in my 2 cents. I called Covered California and said close our account. I can have crappy insurance through my work for 38 a month, can pay about 200 dollars each month for my husband, son and I to have same crap insurance. So that is 2400 a year to put a match to my money. I guess it is the same as penalty will be come tax time. And looks like we will be getting a penalty again this year since I underestimated my income by about 4 grand. I work as a manager/waitress so my income can fluctuate, hard for me to estimate. Anyhow, the so called jnsurance through work pays for nothing really, I can skype with a doctor I am told. I said What if I break my leg? Well, again would just be on my own if that happened. What a joke. Somebody is really making some money here.
Like many others I have other debt that is making it hard to afford premiums so just figure smarter to opt out. I am paying off the IRS for getting too much help one year and for quitting insurance the year before. The one year we used the insurance we saw doctor once each and my husband had some dematologist work done, our co-pay with office co-pay about 200 dollars for that one visit. Just saying, you try to use this insurance and really need to read between the lines. Preventitive care covered? Not really, there are co-pays for each service, test, and then you pay the premium. I mean Hell, I think all insurance just feels like this endless rip off unless you make enough not to be too tapped out by it. And if you have a job/income like that you probably have coverage through your employer. It is just discouraging and feels like you can’t win. Sorry, was just venting and not answering question. My answer woukd be to say there are no good answers and we are being taken for a ride. By the way, I am a democrat, I wanted to believe this could work. It hasn’t for me.

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my daughter just called in tears she can’t afford healthcare!!!!!. her husband has a job, she’s a stay at home mom with a 5 yr old and a 2 yr old. She has a college education but when they saw the cost of child care, by the time she would have paid that, the money she would have brought home was nil. so she opted to stay at home till the kids are in school full time. Her husband also is college educated and works hard. He makes just enough that they do not qualify for assistance on healthcare, he works for a private small company so the benefits are high. To put my daughter and the kids on his insurance its $1800 more a month. So she has been on the Obama roller coaster from hell. She just called that re signing up for her and the kids will run $1100 a month with a $6K deductible for each of them. Basically you have no insurance. Basically you are hung out to dry and pay out of pocket on everything and with 2 little kids as anyone knows you are at the doctors with colds, strep, colds and what not all the time. Who came up with this system should be made to be on these plans. Obamas legacy won’t be Obamacare, his legacy will be how he killed the working man/woman with his healthcare. We have to have healthcare that is affordable. and if we don’t put a cork in the drain on our healthcare from people who can work but won’t work or people who come here and work and drain our system, then the US will cease to exist. It hard to tell your kids, get an education, work hard, get a job, pay your bills and life will be good. what a lie……those days are gone, I pray them come back. I pray our new President cares more about the working class than the last joker we called President. Cause he basically has left us in a row boat with no oars……..

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What is the point of paying for health insurance that you can never use. In NY we pay very high rent and taxes. A one bedroom apt can go for well over $1500 a month, that is not including gas and electric, food and transportation to work and clothes. If you make $29,000 you can barely live life on that. Why should you then pay another $300 for insurance with such a high deductible that you can never use?

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I feel Obamacare is unconstitutional I’m required to have health insurance that I never use and pay ridiculous amounts every month and then when you do get sick and have to go in you end up paying more then the insurance pays can we all say BS!!!!! I’m single make $18 an hour and I still can’t afford health coverage after rent bills child support there is very little left over to eat most people have to supplement their income by doing under the table jobs or illegal BS just to get by how shameful life is in America peopl that actually voted for Obama should be ashamed of themselves

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I am 20. I have rent, school bills, medical bills, car insurance, car payment & my f**king self to feed. How the f**k am I supposed to fit $200+ into my already tight budget?! F**k America’s health care system.

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I pay $1245 a month for rent, $170 in electric, $60 car insurance, $50 phone bill, $93.00 cable bill and $320 a month for child care for my daughter to go to daycare while I work. I make $2400 a month before taxes and bring home $2098 after taxes. I have to pay gas to and from work, which is 18 miles each way. I have to buy food because the $39 in food stamps only buys bread for the month and my growing daughter can’t run around naked all day otherwise O.C.S. is sure to show up at my front door. And now you expect me to pay $695 for not having Health Insurance!! For a period in my life, I was against people robbing and stealing and selling drugs, HOWEVER, I might need to find out where do I apply or how would I meet the connect because I need to do something different. I need to quit my job, have 7 more babies, apply for welfare and let the smart ass government pay for me to live like a queen and feed us all steak and lobster. Its the American Way!!!

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It is clear that many people are struggling just like you with the many rising costs for living and raising a family. That is a common struggle and something that our legislators should be spending more time addressing. On the other hand, I would definitely not recommend that you quit your job and have 7 babies because I promise that it will not be easier to pay the bills or afford the costs. In fact, it will be much harder. Though, if you do, you should definitely apply for welfare because you will absolutely need every single penny of assistance you are eligible for in order to provide all of the most basic necessities for your children.

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My monthly insurance payment will be increasing from $59 to $209 next year. The coverage has changed from $0 medical deductibles to $1300. I have checked out other insurance companies and other plans, none of them makes any sense and any decent plans are beyond affordable. I have to pay for monthly insurance and have to pay more to go visit the doctor. If I don’t buy insurance, I have to pay penalty. How do we survive in this country anymore!!!!!!!

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This is so not helpful. I am 21 and the working poor. I work my butt off to survive on my own. My job does not provide health insurance, I cant afford to pay for it, and I don’t qualify for Medicaid.

America is BS.

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That stinks, sorry to hear that obviously.

To be political for a second here, the Democrats tried to expand Medicaid to all states by 18 (current count) GOP led states + Maine have rejected the measure so far.

In words, about 5 million Americans are in your shoes in Red states (and Maine) because of a Supreme Court Case brought on by conservatives and the rejection of Medicaid by conservative state leadership.

https://obamacarefacts.com/obamacares-medicaid-expansion/

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HI! I’m turning 26 next month, so that leaves me out of my mother’s health insurance plan. I do not have a steady job, and I will most likely lose it in January, with that in mind, I can’t afford insurance with what little I managed to save while also paying for other bills.

I applied to find cheap insurance through the marketplace, but the cheapest they are willing to provide me is around $185/mo. and I still cannot afford it.

Are there any options I can take? I don’t know what I can do or how I can prepare for this.

I also live in North Carolina, and they do not have expanded Medicaid.

I’m stressing myself out. Do I just go into debt????

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Definitely don’t just go into debt for health insurance. if your income is below the tax filing threshold, you are automatically exempt. If you make over the tax filing threshold, but below the Medicaid threshold (138%) you can apply for Medicaid in your state and YOUR DENIAL WILL EXEMPT YOU from owing the fee. If your financially unable to purchase insurance, but are over 138% you may still qualify for a hardship or affordability exemption from the fee.

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How does one account for a drastic change of income from current to future year as far as qualifying for health care?

I’ve worked for more than 50 years–working since I was 8 and paid labor since I was 12 years old. Too sick to work right now and just a few years short of qualifying for full social security. Nothing is terminal in and of itself but I have many chronic health issues including high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, advanced arthritis, etc. I will receive a reduced social security benefit starting January 2017 (well, February with the 1-month delay). My income will go from an unadjusted $42,500 where employer paid most of my medical/dental healthcare, to less than half of what I earned, or about 1500/month. I really need to have healthcare but can’t afford it. My rent is $1400/month. I’ll supplement my living for this first year with the small amount (about $10k) of retirement funds I’ve amassed, until I might be able to qualify as low-income. I’m hoping that once I’ve improved my health, I can go back to work at least part-time. I want to work but as the saying goes, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

I can’t afford ObamaCare although I still support the idea of it. Single payer would have been preferable. Emergency care is expensive. Not everything is Obama’s fault especially when he has had so much opposition from congress, etc. Now those that opposed every good thing he tried to do are going to be in power. (I get people’s frustration but why would you put the fox in charge of the hen house? Desperate for ANY chance of a solution I guess.) I don’t think they’re even interested in solving problems as mentioned here in this forum, less alone fighting for the benefit of the poor and middle class. Not all poor are poor because they’re lazy.

Thanks for hearing me out.

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I can not afford obamacare, but the forms for exemption are hard to find, or use.

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This answer is not very helpful. I make decent money, but this plan is ridiculous. I support our current president in most things he has done, but this ACA has got to go. Because these plans are NOT affordable to people!

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I agree about the struggling costs, but there is lots we can do to fix the ACA without just repealing it. Repealing it isn’t going to make the base costs of healthcare or the X trillion dollar healthcare system go away.

See this for example: https://obamacarefacts.com/2016/12/02/alternatives-to-the-gops-pre-existing-conditions-fix/

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This is ridiculous. we had Obamacare last year and got assistance but my husband lost his job and we make less we don’t qualify now. What a scam!

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I am suppose to pay $500 for a basic plan. I cannot afford it on $15 an hour. I do not qualify for Medicare because I am an LEGAL immigrant who just applied for citizenship. And I DO follow all the rules.

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As a legal immigrant who is not eligible for Medicare you should be eligible to purchase Marketplace insurance and cost assistance based on your income. If the lowest cost plan is more than 8.13% of your income, then you can apply for an exemption from the mandate to have insurance or owe the fee. If you get marketplace insurance and receive advanced Premium Tax Credits, you will need to file a year end tax return to reconcile those credits.

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I cannot afford the health insurance plans. I’m 22 and I need neck surgery as soon as possible. Any suggestions?

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In truth I can’t afford anything the WV marketplace is offering yet make too much to qualify for Medicaid. My alternative solution right now is suicide. I’m tired of being a burden and would rather go quickly than wait it out over 2017 as s chronicslly ill person. I’m out of options now.

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I am paying out of each paycheck for insurance i can’t afford because it boils down to it being cheaper than the 1000 $ penalty. I really need that money but there’s nothing i can do. I live in seattle and my barber income fluctuates yet i make too much for apple care. sometimes i feel not working is better. you get free food, healthcare. I can’t even get a check-up because i don’t have the 6000$ deductible. I would be homeless if i used up all my money. I wish a basic checkup would be included in all the plans as a courtesy to us tax payers who are paying the insurance company “free money” and getting absolutely nothing in return. this should be illegal. P.s I voted for Obama but absolutely abhor obamacare’s penalty fee

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An annual wellness visits are required to be covered by all insurances at no cost to you before deductible. Call your insurer and ask them which billing codes your provider should use when you receive you free preventative care and wellness screening. Make sure that your provider uses those billing codes as insurers don’t typically make it easy for you to get the services they are required to provide you for free under the Affordable Care Act. Here’s a full list of the services that any insurance which qualifies as minimal essential coverage must provide at no cost to you.

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there are no options, its basically too bad. pay, pay, pay
yes its better to not have a job. the people with no job get the better medical coverage and zero payment, zero deductible, zero co-pay.
the people who work are paying for the people who do not

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Wrong actually. I make $11 an hour and work 35 hours a week while raising two children. If I make $1 more an hour, my kids are still fully covered by Medicaid, but I lose my free coverage completely. I’m stuck on the dole. It’s horrible. There’s no working your way up in a company anymore.

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I personally dislike these “ceilings” very much. I think they get built in because, in many cases, “people who pass laws don’t now what it is like to be poor or middle class”.

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Yr doing God’s work trying to answer people’s questions here. I got here for the same reason as everybody else– none of the solutions add up to help for me. I’m a single male, so it’s hard to catch the subsidy, which is fine since I’m healthy. I definitely have to just pay the fine. Won’t lie, it makes me a bit butthurt to pay Uncle Sam for health care coverage I won’t be getting– but health insurance isn’t for the healthy, is it?

If I got coverage I’d probably have to move, and I’m just not willing to do that. So, fine it is– I’ll just hope for the best.

But really I just want to say that obviously you at the website are doing your best to get people the info they need. There should be more folks like you. Thanks.

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i make 65,000-75,000 a year. My student loans, bills, rent, living expenses in general leave me with zero extra money at the end of the month. with “making so much” I cant qualify for lower cost plans, but I simply cannot afford what my options are.. what do I do?

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Everyone has a different and unique situation. Why not just flat rate people either by income or by age group (although this is a form of discrimination) Make all monthly payments equal, within a group. Then Cap the cost of medical care & prescription drugs ie…, Aspirin 10.00 ? You can get an entire bottle of name brand for that price. The markup on surgery and drugs should be capped at a reasonable percent. (That way the doctors can get paid too.) Gov’t should fund hosp with tax money as part of the shared responsibility difference. Then there is after your already sick or in need of a surgery. How about more money on preventive care like diet nutrition, fitness. Not perfect but something like this would be a start.
I am single in my forties, divorced, no children and I did not complete my degree. I dropped out after divorce, one income unable to afford and be in debt any more than from when I was married. So I am self employed (house cleaner) live in my sister (shack out back). Her roof is falling in, the house has old electric and only works in half, you do not dare use it or house will catch on fire. No heat, no gas , was removed due to leak. No hot water, there is a ecotemp propane heater. No oven, no dryer or washer. We both use a 25 dollar cheap flip phone, no cable, internet use at the library. We work on our own vehicles, or ride a bike. Every year we grow our own food if the bugs don’t eat it. Neither of us have been to the doctor in years, I can’t miss work as it is only me…, and I am supposed to try harder and pay for someone else?? I don’t qualify for healthcare, poverty level, no medicare (Texas) But you know I am happy, I am alive and far as I know have my health. We are hard workers, honest people and pull our own weight. AS should everyone!! I love this country and feel so sad for all of those who are hurting, but if the corruption at the top is not fixed first then it will always be this way or worse. Millions for leaders and CEO of Insurance co. just voted more raises…, etc. min wage $ 7.25, sales tax 8.25%, federal tax like 15%, you get the pic. Hold onto hope that’s still free. Best of luck to all.

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ok – What if I REALLY REALLY can’t afford it and I can’t get your welfare? What then? i guess I can sell a car this year to pay the increase? Any others ideaS

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Some people are legitimately in a situation where even with HSAs, cost assistance, and catastrophic coverage considered they face high costs after all their expenses. I don’t have any sort of perfect answer for this type of individual or family. I have less empathy when that family won’t put themselves in the shoes of the millions of sick and suffering still excluded by non-expansion states or those who support a full repeal in hopes their costs will go down, but after seeing years of comments I CERTAINLY HAVE EMPATHY.

My line of reasoning says 1. HSA, max it out. 2. Seek very low cost catastrophic coverage that costs less than the fee. 3. If all else fails, pay the fee and save some extra money in case you need care.

You have to be in a very unique situation not to have a better deal with an HSA and catastrophic coverage (above 400% FPL, but low enough in net income after expenses to not have coverage costs make sense), but it is a real situation… and no, there isn’t a great answer (same general thing I have to tell those with no income in 20 states, but for them… there is literally no option, not even an expensive one).

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I got ripped off.
My premium was $522 per month and my out of pocket was $7500
My wife got sick and lost her job so the doctors started running expensive tests and said they know whats wrong with her. Sent her to surgeons who said It was too risky to fix her.
The massive bills came, Multi thousands for tests, I’ve got no money so I threw the bills in the trash. The bill collectors are still calling for a full year now, actually longer for a few of the older ones. one test was $2600 and the next three were about $1700 each.
NEXT my premium jumped from $522 to $764 and any contact with the system was a complete waste of time, seems they employ Idiots who are told to baffle us with bullshit.
NOW the next thing they do Is take the government money three months In advance AFTER I told them I had no money to pay anything.
And NOW they threaten me by saying I have to pay that BACK to the gov…….
the MONEY THEY STOLE FROM the GOV AFTER THEY CANCELLED MY INS and TOLD MY DOCTORS I WAS NO LONGER PAYING,,,

Guess what the doctors did next !!!!!

Told us they were all wrong with all those test and all that money, told us she was mentally ILL…Lying crooks all.
Now I have to watch her get slowly worse with no help for her because of two reasons,,
we have no Insurance they can steal from and that means we are not profitable for them.

A BIG Thank you to my health Insurance company for stealing from me and Congress for showing them how.
I am Victim and have been robbed ! I think Grand theft Is a felony, Now made legal by our sytem.

The outcome of all this, the Impact on us, I make just enough to feed us and pay the regular bills, we will loose one car soon and I cannot afford to keep my home In good working order so, I may loose my home.
My Mortgage is $900 per month and they want $764 for health Insurance with a yearly out of pocket of $7600..do the math, It simple.
A home to live and die In, mtg $900
Health Insurance that does nothing for me unless I spend more than $1,397 per month.

http://anonofficial.com/
YOU are being watched, expect them soon I hope

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This is a little hard to follow, but I think it sums up the very real frustration felt well. Notice how this rant isn’t “blaming ObamaCare” as much as it is “frustrated by the grand result of not getting a fair shake”. It is so much easier to have empathy for that than it is to get hit over the head with the “Obummer care is bad” stick. Things like the preexisting conditions protection, cost assistance, and Medicaid expansion save far too many lives to just throw out in a fit of political anger. <---- In my opinion.

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What I would like to know is how you figure determining health insurance availability off from someone gross income is even fair? We have a two year old without health insurance and medical bills piling up because we can not afford to buy him health insurance. Just because his dad has a job doesn’t mean that there is enough money left after paying the mortgage, electricity, propane, phone, insurance, diapers, groceries, etc. Did our government forget that we have bills to pay so we aren’t living on the streets? Or why is it that the hard working man is the one who constantly struggles while the lazy ones get all the help? Don’t you think that offering assisting to families who are trying to provide for their families is a better option than giving all of the help to people who refuse to work hard so our government will just give them everything?

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I am still paying monthly payments for my tax penalties from last year because I couldn’t afford insurance. I can’t afford it this year either. My cheapest option is $924 a month through the Marketplace. (That policy by the way is not worth having!) We make too much money to qualify for help with the premiums and not enough to pay the outrageous premiums. I mean, that’s a house note. We have no options but to keep racking up penalties that we will never pay off! Unless of course, I quit my job, draw food stamps and government assistance.

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If the lowest priced plan you are eligible for is more than 8.13% of your income you are eligible for an affordability exemption from the requirement to have insurance and from owing the fee for not having insurance. You must apply for that exemption in order to get it. You can also apply for that exemption retroactively, but it tends to take longer to process and once processed you would need to file an amended return for last years taxes.

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I’ve tried looking everywhere for coverage but the lowest rate is still $500 for just my daughter and I (and the coverage is SO bad. It covers practically nothing and is accepted almost nowhere). I’ve tried looking at various places with no luck.

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I only make 1900 per month before tax. Family of 4. The only option I have is Bronze level. lowest is 780 per month with a high deductible. Which I can not afford to pay. So I have to pay penalty??? This is not the program to help. It forces me to sign up for something I can not afford and the insurance company is the making money out of it. They keep raising premium every year.

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If the least expensive insurance you and your family are eligible for is more than 8.13% of your family’s income, than you can apply for an affordability exemption from the requirement to have minimal essential coverage and you will not owe the fee. You will also be eligible to purchase Catastrophic Health Insurance instead. Catastrophic plans have high deductibles, but they often have much lower premiums and they will ensure that your family is protected in the event of a worst-case-scenario health event.

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I can’t afford this either, 600 dollar a month premium is more than what I pay on rent. I have child support, I have debt, student loans. I’m not filing for bankruptcy, I am not on government programs. I’m being responsible, working and paying everything. I don’t smoke, or drink, I am healthy and I pay life insurance because I cannot afford health insurance, so if I do get sick I can pass away and my son will be taken care of. I only want health insurance to avoid a penalty, it’s now to the point where I still cant afford the plans but also I can’t afford the penalty. Why am I not allowed to give back to “caesar” what belongs to “caesar” without “caesar” wanting to take more. I pay taxes. Not really sure what else I can do? I don’t want the government to pay the things I’m responsible for, but at the same time I would like there to be realistic expectations of me as a citizen, at least to some degree. To the employee who responds to this, if they do, be thankful you’re not me, and make good decisions in life!

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I still dont understand why Im being punished for not being able to afford insurance? Why would I pay $2400 a year for insurance I’ll never see a benefit from due to the high deductibles? So Im forced to pay $700 dollars in a “tax” because I dont see the point of paying for something that doesn’t help? I work two jobs for over 55 hours a week, why are your premiums so ridiculous for such poor coverage?

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Your taking almost every dime of my wife’s retirement!
I make with my wife about 79K a year. She is 63 and insurance for her on Obama care is eating us up! With not doing anything but existing and PAYING our bills we just get by. Last year was a nightmare with about $788 a month out of her retirement of around $900 a month. How are we to survive this next year and pay our bills? Now the E-mail from the .GOV site says her insurance is going up over $250 starting this Dec 15, 2016. All I see is a bunch of greedy addicts getting my wife’s retirement and the price is so High this next year what the heck are we to do? I am a cancer survivor and I know how Hospitals and Doctor bills can be. I have been there and I know the subject matter well since I lived it. But this Obama Care is a rape of older Americans with no representation. My wife and I are just screwed huh?

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I’m sorry that you are not finding affordable insurance, but just to be clear ObamacareFacts.com is not taking any of your wife’s retirement money. This is an informational website about the ACA (aka Obamacare), but it isn’t the insurance company shes paying premiums to and it also isn’t the official healthcare.gov site.

Being married, you and your wife’s income are counted together because you are in the same tax family. That being said, based on the information you provided, the insurance being offered to you is more than 8.13% of your family’s income and your wife would be eligible for an exemption from the requirement to have insurance or paying the fee for not having it. You must apply for affordability exemptions at healthcare.gov. That would also make her eligible for purchasing catastrophic health insurance on the marketplace instead, or she could look for another form of health insurance off the marketplace even if it’s not minimal essential coverage. If she does choose off-marketplace health insurance that isn’t considered minimal essential coverage, she will want to read the fine print very carefully and ensure that is covers the medical care that she needs because it won’t be regulated in the same way or have the same “rights, protections, and minimal benefits” as insurance that is considered minimal essential coverage. I realize that isn’t necessarily an answer that will make you or your wife feel any better about your situation or the high cost of health insurance, but again, this is an informational website. The goal here to provide the best information that we can based on the Affordable Care Act law, that doesn’t mean the law is always fair.

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Obama care 2 PPL $965
WHO CAN AFFORD THAT

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This year my insurance sky rocketed. I need Blue Cross due to conditions I have. I do not drive to get to work due to my epilepsy. I haven’t driven in over 10 years. I filled for partial disability, to lower my cost. I some how made to much money. I’m really worried.

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I cannot afford any premium costs, I have too many bills. I work part time and get retirement ss… this year I got a small raise, but my food stamps were cut drastically, my rent went up, but that was not taken into consideration , nor is my car insurance I have to have in order to drive to work, go to the store, Dr.. etc. I have out of pocket expenses every month for heart meds but the lousy insurance pays less than a discount card I use, still I have to pay 40.00 a month for meds out of pocket… that was once 12.00 a month. Our state did not expand medicaid so I do not qualify for that either. Why isn’t my out of pocket expenses not considered in Obamacare and car insurance for those that work? Now I have to pay 24.00 for a premium bronze that is terrible insurance and pay out of pocket for meds still… This mandatory insurance is just sucking the poor even more. If you get help, they just cut you off some other way. It looks as if certain people who make it right on the line that cannot get medicaid is set up to lose their federal income taxes to the Gov. This is just wrong!

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I make under $45,000 and I’m a single mother with 4 children. Health insurance for me alone was quoted at $380/month with an $5,500 deductible (this was the cheapest option.) I don’t qualify for any premiums because the website stated, “I don’t have enough income to qualify for the subsidy). Complete BS. I have a car payment/ insurance, daycare costs, a mortgage, electricity and other bills that I have to pay, yet I can’t afford these costs. I am just going to go without health insurance again because of this BS.

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Since you only mentioned that your income was below $45,000 its a little unclear how to answer your question. $47,520 is the most a single person family can make and still qualify for cost assistance. Eligibility for cost assistance is based on Federal Poverty Level guidelines, the income considered is your MAGI. Unfortunately, the way federal poverty guidelines are structured, the number gets higher the larger your family is and this has made Marketplace cost assistance out-of-reach for many families living in states that have not expanded Medicaid coverage. So, as long as you make between $28,440 and $113,760 (100%-400% FPL for a family of five in 2017) you should qualify for some cost assistance (assuming you aren’t being offered “affordable” employer insurance) and your kids may qualify for CHIP (children’s medicaid) though CHIP eligibility guidelines vary state to state. If your income is between 100% and 400% FPL for a family of five than you should try to appeal that decision. You may also be able to get assistance from your state’s Insurance Commissioner’s office as well if that is the case. If your income is below 138% FPL and your state hasn’t expanded medicaid, you can apply for Medicaid and your denial will allow you to claim exemption from the requirement to have minimal essential coverage when you file your tax return and thus you won’t owe the fee for not having insurance. If your income is below 138% and your state did expand, you may be required to apply for Medicaid and/or to accept Medicaid coverage instead of getting cost assistance on the marketplace. I hope that I was able to provide you with some clarification.

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I cannot afford the ACA increased monthly premiums, co-payments, co-insurance, yearly blood work and monthly medicine. I have other basic monthly living expenses and still making monthly payments to Quest Diagnostics 2016 lab work. I do not agree with being charged a penalty for enrolling in the not affordable ACA. The fact I cannot not afford a $600 monthly premium where am I going to get the money to pay the penalty?
Extremely Disappointed

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Frustrated in Upstate

in 2015 75 million people paid the fine for not having health coverage. The IRS received 1.5 billion dollars from this. I would like to know where that money is spent. Wouldn’t that be enough money for the entire country to have coverage? I am almost 40 years old and I have never had insurance. I have worked for small independent businesses for all my career. I live in upstate NY where there are not a lot of options for coverage. Right now I make about 65,000 a year which is pretty good for my area. My cheapest option is paying 360 a month with a 5000 deductible. I feel that is a lot of money to spend on something I “might need”. I am choosing not to pay for health insurance. I don’t believe in this failed system. I do admire the president for trying to do something about it. I do want to feel safe in the fact that I won’t be in financial ruins if an accident happens. I really don’t know what to do. I feel bad that I make enough money, but like most I have other bills as well. I don’t live extravagantly. I have a 30 year old truck and I rent a small house. What is the answer? How does it get better? I feel if I end up paying the fine I’m still ahead. That just makes me frustrated.

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It is supposed to go to Charity Care at hospitals for when uninsured patient’s are unable to pay. The medical care industry is a 3.8 trillion dollar industry at this point, so no, 1.5 billion isn’t enough for all Americans to have coverage or even to just cover the care costs directly. It is frustrating that the US, as a whole, spends 2x or more per capita than all other major western countries, but even if we cut those costs in half it would still be in the trillions, not billions. May people feel that universal health care is the only way to reduce costs, but there is a lot of debate about what type of universal coverage is best. Some countries have used mixed public/private universal coverage models, others have use single payer models, and some have universal coverage provided only by private insurers despite being funded through taxes (Switzerland). Most though don’t allow health insurance to be a for-profit industry and perhaps that is the key.

As for your personal situation it’s possible that paying the fee you’ll still be ahead. Some folks find that is the best option. However, getting an HSA qualified High Deductible Health Insurance may offer you more tax benefits for the care you pay out-of-pocket for, you’d still get the preventative care before deductible, and you would have coverage in the event you have a major health event.

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I’m disabled but Medicare won’t kick in for me until next year. I was denied Medicaid because my income is “too high”. I am on chemo, I see 3 different specialists and my primary doctor and am on several medications. I’m also a single mom. I cannot afford Obamacare. I’m so worried!

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I’m 20 years old and quit my job I only made 2’000 dollars and don”t have a job now i can’t afford health insurance or the penalty what do i do?

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If you plan to file single and claim your own exemption then you made under well under the tax filing threshold which means that you are automatically exempt from the requirement to have health insurance. If you will be claimed as a dependent on someone Else’s tax return, then they are responsible for ensuring that you have minimal essential coverage throughout the year.

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And what about the now-defunct Middle Class who are now stuck in the gray area? We don’t qualify for any subsidies because we “make too much.” But the premiums and deductibles are forcing us to take on thousands in debt because of this so-called Affordable care act. There is no help for us at all. We spend years and years planning, budgeting and being money savvy only to have this crap forced on us and pushing us into bankruptcy. Where is the help there? How is that affordable?

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I’m in the same boat too. I’m a single & have no children. I work part time and have been terminated for Medicaid because I make $20,500 a year in New York City. My job or union doesn’t offer health care benefits because I’m a part time worker. I went to the marketplace the monthly costs are not affordable to me.
I rather just heal my own wounds. 32bj union & Madison Square Gardens Company treat their part time employees like crap!! 32bj union are all Shifty . They collect union dues but don’t get things done.

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I have a fun scenario for you:
I’m self-employed as of July. My business is currently taking a loss due to business expenses, but I anticipated this and saved money to pay insurance premiums. The Marketplace won’t even let me have insurance because they say I’m not eligible unless I can show income. They say I have to use Medicaid. So, as much as I don’t want to use Medicaid, I still applied because it’s better than nothing. Medicaid says that without me showing some kind of recent income pattern, they have to go off of my most recent tax returns (the ones for 2015) which show I made a lot of money. The real kicker is that I’ve been informed that despite all of this, I still don’t qualify for an exemption from the penalty.

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That does not sound fun. Glad you have access to care theoretically, very annoying you are getting held-up by bureaucracy.

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The only insurance I can afford has such a high deductible I cannot use it. I am one of the 20 million they brag about now having insurance that could not get it before. Obama care is totally useless. If the new president is going to totally do away with Obama care why should I even sign up for something I have to pay and cannot use?

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This is the absolute most ridiculous nonsense I have ever seen. I had healthcare before for $340/mo for my entire family. Now $1200/mo is the cheapest plan with the highest deductible. Affordable??? are you kidding. Thanks to everyone involved with Obamacare, you have officially put me into debt and ruined my life. I would be better off quitting my job then you guys would happily pay for it.

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ok, soour bring home is 2400 amonth. With the renewal for 2017 they want $750 amonth for me. Huge deductibles, huge out of pocket. We are 3100 over per year for medicaid. So…………………… I cant afford it!

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My family ( 3)) ) make 58000 dollars at year and I qualify for marketplace health plan but paying about 1000 dollars at month, we are deeply in debt and we xan not afford even 200 at month. What option do we have???? . We are worry because we are expecting a baby in about 2 months.

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just another way to screw the little guy great thanks who are the morons who came up with the Idea of penalizing the poor and then making it impossible to qualify for Medicaid and then if your state dose not expand medicaid then your HOSED THANKS AVER SO MUCH… THANKS FOR NOTHING. meanwhile filling their pockets whit tax dollars that is supposed to help the ones that are poor like me.

I was born with a learning disability never finished school so no one would hire me so I had to do my own thing (clean Houses) I have just squeaked by ant at 53 this is the first time I have ever had to go on food stamps and still going to get penalized

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Was paying 3,800 a year for coverage even though I’m a healthy 26 year old graduate student, a non-smoking woman, and I used insurance pretty much just for prescriptions and an annual checkup. I chose to have insurance for just that — in case something unexpected happened I knew I could count on my fiscal responsibility to have my back. Now the only insurer left in the market place for me has increased that price to 5,000 a year. I don’t make enough money (because I’m on student loans) to qualify for any tax deductions and I qualify for Medicaid but guess what? My state doesn’t offer it to me. But as a bonus I’m exempt from paying the fee for not having health insurance. Oh gee how generous.

What a waste.

Maybe I’ll die a quick death so my family can collect the life insurance money. Assuming that isn’t a huge waste as well.

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First, I want t say thank you to the even-minded and compassionate “fact” representative replying to the comments. There is so much emotion about this, so much at stake. I know people are hurting.

1) Obamacare makes it possible for me to have insurance. We’re both self-employed, but not in big-income fields, so we’ve gone about 20 years without insurance. I’m very thankful for the opportunity Obamacare gave us.

2) Without the subsidy, insurance has been around $800-$1500 for the 2 of us (before or after Obamacare). We simply do not have that money. There are no cost-cutting or frugality that would give us that money. This year, my husband got a steady part-time gig, and it looks like it will put us out of eligibility for the subsidy. Back to bandaids and prayer. It’s not Obamacare’s fault, it’s just a bad system all around that hurts the lower middle class.

3) There is only one reason Obamacare does not work: because it is not health care, or health insurance. All it did was set up basic, humane requirements for what Insurance Companies must provide. A single-payer system, like other civilized countries have, would resolve almost all complaints.

4) If you are upset with the cost of insurance, it is the insurance companies to be angry about. They are merely a middle-man making profits. Of course costs will go up if we cover everyone. But isn’t that a small price to pay, to assure every citizen has coverage? And take the huge burden off Hospitals who cover emergencies and the uninsured? And in areas where the price jumped significantly, that is the fault of insurance companies… many of whom started with low rates, then had to balloon.

Obamacare is our country’s first attempt to provide health insurance, and therefore health care, to all it’s citizens. It’s barbaric not to have that. What would you change to make it better?

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I am now 2 months behind on paying my health insurance. There just isn’t enough money for it. I used to pay $240 per month and in just 6 years it has gone to just under $600 per month and it’s going up again. I hope I don’t get sick or injured.

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Sadly I barely make enough to get by, with rent, food, gas to get work the premiums that I am being offered are $300 and up…that’s rent money and I’m not even being offered aid because I make too little…deff not happy as I may have to not have consider not having heath insurance due to not being able to afford the lowest premiums, $50 a month so almost now $300 is a HUGE difference.

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I have just become the most rent victim of the terrible legislation thst has befallen the American people. IT really is not a wonder why or how we now have Trump as president, funny thing is, if he successfully repeals this mess, then he will go down as the greatest president of all time in my book. I have a family of 5 and we were looking into relocating but it may simply not happen due to a forceful change in health insurance because of state rules. Our premiums would be due to go from approximately 450 per month on upward to approximately 1200 per month. I am not generally one to complain on message boards and generally stay out of politics all together, assuming they re operating in the American people’s best interest, but that is simply not the case here. I pray that this socialist viewpoint does not continue and that a reworking of the establishment will stop special interest groups from being able to push their agendas. THE only winner I see in this whole mess is the insurance companies who may now charge whatever they want for forced health insurance and no competition to drive prices down. I bet Obama has lined his pockets with blue cross blue shield hand outs in some way shape or form. 2 cents over, disappointed and glad that the Obama regime is finally at an end so that maybe this travesty can be put to bed.

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In Texas, every doctor I have and that my family has is opting out of the plans that are available on the Marketplace. When I went to the companies they are all accepting (Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, etc.) to see if I could purchase outside of the Marketplace, our premium for 4 people went from an already ludicrous $1133.00 a month to over $2300.00 a month. Just the premium. A month.

I want to have health insurance, but I will not pay over a thousand dollars a month for plans that none of my doctors accept, nor will I pay over $2300.00 a month for premiums. No one should be paying this much. It’s a bad product. I want to be part of this universal health coverage movement, but this is not acceptable.

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The marketplace sells insurance from private insurers are depending on your income you can may qualify for cost assistance. Most insurers including Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, etc.. If your medical providers are in the networks for these insurers they will accept reimbursement from those insurers regardless of whether you purchase it on or off the Marketplaces. Providers have always had and continue to have the right to choose which health insurance networks they participate in and which insurers they will accept reimbursement from, but there is no way for them to know whether you purchased that insurance on or off the Marketplace.

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I do not make enough for assistance and can not afford insurance otherwise. I had a company looking for insurance for me and they suggested I file an exemption? What is that and how do I do that?

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There are a number of things which can qualify you for an exemption from the requirement to have insurance and from owing the fee. If your income is below 100% the Federal Poverty Level than you will likely qualify for an affordability exemption, but there are a number of them. You can find out more here.

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That was the lamest response I’ve ever seen. You can’t force families to have health insurance then jack the prices so high they can’t afford it.

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I hope Trump moves swiftly to do away with Obamacare. Here in Florida our governor valdemort, didn’t take the money to shore up medicaid. My daughter has two special needs children. One gets SSI because he’s deaf. He has medicaid. The other is high functioning autistic. SSI said he is not disabled enough. Her husband gets his free from his work but to add his family would cost $1000 per month. They make $100 to much to get medicaid for their other son. A plan on your sight with a $10,000 deductible (which is ridiculous) would cost them 1200 a month. Basing everything on a credit they will get on their taxes is the kind of messed up logic that has got this country in a mess. Short of advising people to divorce their spouses, considering child support is cheaper than health insurance, there is no good answers for these families falling in the cracks.

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Medicaid eligibility is based on MAGI. That means there are options like putting $100 in an IRA, HSA, or 401K that will your daughter’s families MAGI score. If the coverage offered by his employer to just cover your daughter is still more than 8.13% of the families income (based on that new MAGI) than she can file for an exemption from the requirement to have insurance and owing the fee. If she qualifies for the exemption than she can still purchase Catastrophic Coverage (typically HSA eligible) or other off market health insurance. If she doesn’t qualify than she can still shop off the market place for minimal essential coverage. Some people have reported finding affordable coverage off marketplace compared to employer coverage, even without premium tax credits. I hope that this information helps.

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Its absolutely ridiculous, I am working 2 jobs to pay rent and bills etc,I
Am a single american daughter of two world war 2 veterans, and I can not afford this health insurance, I really don’t even want it,but I’m being forced to have it,I do not run to the Dr every time I have a sniffle…. Sick and tired of seeing people, all around me milking the system

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It’s so sad i make 1000 dollars. More a year to get any assistance.I signed up for Obama care and had to drop it.(only 3 months) Thay raised my rent.Half my income..I believe i will die young.So sad…George in Colorado.

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I still can’t afford my health insurance with Obama care and my tax credit because they want 140-200 bucks a month .. how is this helping anyone on top of it all that doesn’t cover dental at all either! Yes I make More then state requires for free insurance but I go to school full time as well as work and I can barely make ends meet as it is and my company doesn’t offer health insurance! How is this helping anyone!

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I am getting into a very terrible situation as the new 2017 health plan is kicking in. I live and work in a different state and my family (spouse and kid) live in a different state. After submitting my health Insurance application for 2017; I had only options to chose plans that started from $956 monthly. Choosing this option will lead me go entirely penny less.
I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.
Please guide me if there is some option of payment plans for monthly premiums.
Best Regards,
Dillion

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How can I sue the president? His stupid policies have made the premiums too expensive, and his idiotic policies have also made the prices ridiculously expensive. If the penalties are going to keep rising, and the price of health insurance is going to keep rising, and every promise he made about keeping our doctor, rates not going up, etc. etc, are all false – is that not a violation of our rights to the pursuit of happiness? Or otherwise saying, is he not violating our rights of property by forcing our money (property) out of our pocket and into the marketplace? Obamacare literally forces money out of citizens pockets to pay for something that the government made too expensive? There’s no alternative for us. We can’t afford the penalty, and we can’t afford the health insurance.

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How can I sue the president? His stupid policies have made the premiums too expensive, and his idiotic policies have also made the prices ridiculously expensive. If the penalties are going to keep rising, and the price of health insurance is going to keep rising, and every promise he made about keeping our doctor, rates not going up, etc. etc, are all false – is that not a violation of our rights to the pursuit of happiness? Or otherwise saying, is he not violating our rights of property by forcing our money (property) out of our pocket and into the marketplace? Obamacare literally forces money out of citizens pockets to pay for something that the government made too expensive? There’s no alternative for us. We can’t afford the penalty, and we can’t afford the health insurance.

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the problem is that we live in the land of the free but are now being FORCED to give our money to the ringleaders of the insurance corporations whose salaries are out of this world. This is a horrific scam. What is we all said hell no!

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I do not qualify for any credits and only one company is offering insurance in Maricopa County in AZ and I cannot afford the cheapest plan as it is 310% more than my plan for 2016 and $700 more than my house payment. Now what am I supposed to do?!

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You can go to the emergency room and wait with all the illegal aliens. At least that’s what I’ve heard. If you have some cash, you may be able to the get the care you need in Mexico. I know working people who have no health insurance and one of them said his plan is to show up at the hospital if he is very sick and say either take care of me or send me to jail where at least I can get treated. America is so great, is it not?

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Your comments about the GOP restricting the expansion of Medicad are ridiculous and unprofessional. The reason why the GOP is blocking the expansion of Medicad is because it is the goal of the Democrats to have a one payer system controlled by the government which is against the Constitution of the United States. And these slim ball Democrats passed this horrible healthcare system as a tax in the middle of the night not notifying majority of the Republicans that this Obamacare was going to be voted on. I pray to God that this abomination gets repeal and replaced with a heath care system that is more versatile, more competitive, more affordable, and more accountability of doctors, drug companies, and hospitals for the outrageous cost of health care. Think about it….why does 2 Tylenol cost about $10 to $20 dollars in a hospital when someone can buy several huge bottles of Tylenol for the same cost. Accountability from the heath care industry don’t “punish” they American people to pay for their incompetency.

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Impossible system! Failing the poorest of Americans. I am below the poverty level I retired early but not disabled enough to be “disabled” even tough I don’t have the strength to work – this is per SSA.
I have a little money – 200 per month to live on. Friends took me in otherwise I’d be on the street. For this I’m truly greatful.
Medicaid in NC, gives me STD coverage a joke! I’m 56 and menopausal with no relationships! Useless!
I worked all my life and this is a slap in the face. Now when I need help the most I can’t get it. I have received advice from healthcare.gov and private insurance.
To date I have no affordable health care at all. So for the poor in NC this system is pathetic and leaves the poor to die of treatable illness.
I have checked this enrolment for 2017 same as last year. No coverage. the best they offer is 425.00 per month. If I had that kind of money I wouldn’t need assistance at all.
The insurance companies are mad the government is helping us to die and not live a good life at all. I pray for everyone who is in the same situation as I am. There is no answer yet I hope one comes soon.

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The math dictates. Paying the fine is more affordable. I had the highest hopes for reform but…ugh. They can keep my refund. Really its kept from dept of education for that set of penalties and interest fees. Not exactly going to my vacation fund. Lol. It’s comical. My subsidy was $78/month. I thought…ok I’ll muster the extra $100. Pull my social weight etc. Then…omfg the flippin $78 had already been accounted for in the premium. So $178 extra dollars. No. But if you can find those extra $ in my budget. Keep them! You earned it. You’re magical & delicious. Holy bleeding Christ. And a copay too!

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Hello,
I am-
*26
*full time student (no degree)
*perfect record (not even a traffic ticket)
*part time worker (min wage. 12 hrs a week)
*no insurance
*significant health problems (PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Chest deformity that causes many physical issues)
*relies on medication and doctors visits to get through the day
*denied Medicaid. appealed. denied again. So, because my medicine is helping me function, you’re saying I don’t have health problems??? that’s like telling a person with diabetes they are cured because of the invention of the insulin shot. – um. HELLO! Would you like me to get off my medication and let you see what I’m like without it? That’s why I’m 26 and still haven’t finished college. Mental health that kept me from school for years, plus being raped, abused and a physical deformity that had my heart pumping at half capacity for my entire life isn’t enough to help me get some medical help so I can finish school.
*live at home
*applied for open enrollment. (income too low for tax credit. my state does not offer coverage.) My monthly premium quote is more than I make a month PLUS I would still need to pay for medicine, doctors visits, and an upcoming 60,000$ surgery.

Come on! I’m 26 and lost my health insurance. I rely on medication to function. still need another costly surgery on my chest cavity. I need to finish school so I can get a job that suits my physical and mental needs. I want to be able to afford my OWN health insurance, but cant do that flipping hamburgers- especially when you consider my high-cost medical needs.

an exemption is not the answer for me. I NEED health insurance to afford my medical bills.

at this point, my only option is to take out loans to afford to pay for insurance.

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If I cannot afford my heath insurance, is there a way to pick a cheaper option with less coverage? Or am I set on a specific coverage and premium due to my income?

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I can either pay for health insurance or I can pay for my doctor visits. Not both. Which should I choose? My health, or avoiding a government tax fine? I am a contract worker who enjoys my job and makes a meager $50K per year in a high cost-of-living city. And I am trying to start my own business. I am not unhealthy and I do not go to the doctor often, so I will likely never meet any of the deductibles available. One visit with lab work cost me $1800, so I had to stop paying my premium in order to pay my doctor bill. Now I’m uninsured. Many people I know have been forced into making serious life changes in order to fit these premiums into their budget, or have decided to drop insurance altogether. I am single, in my 40’s, and like to stay on top of my checkups. If these insurance plans do not cover basic health management, I feel I should have the option to opt out and not get fined. It’s a sad day in America when the government forces you to pay for “healthcare coverage” you’ll never use, which then makes it difficult to afford actual medical care.

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Ahhh, so, we blame someone else for failure of this “Affordable” program!! I suppose it’s now the American way: policy makers who couldn’t fight their way out a wet paper bag are now in charge of our lives – as if those of us who know the value of hard work and independence would need help from lily-livered imbeciles who are afraid the get their hands dirty! It is an insult to the generations of Americans before us who struggled to make this country the greatest, God-fearing nation in the world!!!!

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It’s outrageous what they charge for health insurance each month. I can’t afford to pay it each month along with bills and I fall above the Medicaid eligibility. Looks like I’ll be going without health insurance thanks for nothing Obama.

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After countless days and hours of shopping for an affordable health insurance plan I have decided to give up and open a savings account at my bank instead. The lowest premium I can get through Obamacare is $350 a month but I recently bought a new home and that combined with other important financial issues means that $350 a month would be too much to invest in an insurance policy that is never going to pay a single doctor bill because the deductible is so freaking high. In order for me to get a lower deductible I would have to pay double the premium. That is more than I pay to own my home. Its absolutely ridiculous and I will not do it. I looked into getting an HSA, but you have to have a health insurance plan in place to connect it to. I tried shopping private insurance plans and they all sent me away saying that my best bet was to go to healthcare.gov and shop Obamacare. Health insurance in this country is a damn mess. I am not going to contribute to a plan that is never going to contribute to my health. I will put my money in the bank and use it when I need it.

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Prior to AFC I purchased my own individual health insurance for myself and 2 dependents (I am self employed and net about $30000 per year and had 2 dependents – all of us are healthy and we may see a doctor only once per year). My premium was $222 per month, $30 co-pay and was allowed 4 doctors visits per year per person. Labs & diagnostics were exempt from my deductible, urgent care was covered as well as prescriptions with a small co pay. The great thing was that I could write off my premiums and health care costs on my taxes.
In 2016 my plan was no longer available and was notified I had to use the Healthcare.gov website to purchase new insurance. I was able to find a plan somewhat similar in coverage through Providence (well checks and labs covered, deductible waived) at a higher cost $276 per month out of pocket but with higher co-pays ($50-70) and higher out limits and less coverage. and… I can no longer write off my costs.
For 2017 the plan I currently have is no longer available. To get a plan similar, my premiums will run over $700 per month (that’s my cost). To get a plan that I can afford ($250-$300) I would have to meet a deductible of $6000-$7500 BEFORE ANY SERVICES ARE COVERED. then I am still looking at $70-$100 co-pays and $35 co-pay for prescriptions or 20% cost to me after deductible is met…

I am a moderate democrat and believe everyone should have access to health care but someone has to pay for it. How is this affordable for me?? I am better off not having insurance, paying the fine and paying out of pocket if I need a doctor. What I am now being forced to do is purchasing the lowest premium plan at $160 per month with a $12000 deductible so I would be covered for any catastrophic medical situation and paying out of my pocket for my annual exam. This system does not work for me. I was covered 2 years ago with great health care at an affordable price, now I am worse off.

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I cannot afford Obama Care. Cheapest plan for my husband and I costs almost $1000 a month for 2017. I have cancer. No more treatment for me. Guess I will just die.

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If we weren’t spending a million dollars a day to protect D. Trump in N.Y. Maybe we would be able to have affordable health care coverage. The alt right is in th White House and we have to pay penalties for not being able to afford ACA. Go figure.

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I stopped working about 8 yrs ago and haven’t needed to file taxes, since my investment income has been less than IRS limits.

Tax Credits are useless to help with insurance bills, since we don’t pay federal taxes.

We’ve always had health insurance, but the costs have gone up 240% in the last 3 yrs and is forcing our savings spend to be about an extra car payment every month. Plus the high deductible plans have gone from $3000 -> $5000 –> $7500 during the price increases. Basically, these are catastrophic plans.

We were notified a few weeks ago that our current provider is leaving our state after 2016.

We WANT affordable health insurance and don’t want a hardship exemption.
Advice?

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God bless Trump…with costs of Obamacare and deductibles skyrocketing…I am amazed Secretary Clinton got 2 votes. Add in job killing corporate taxes, war on oil, inviting the mother of a man who attacked a cop to the DNC (Brown’s mother)etc.

Anyway….

The cheapest plan in Florida via the marketplace is $5K with a $7500 deductible…and $10K out of pocket max…insane.

$12K plus out of pocket for nada/prior to seeing one dime of benefit.

Prior to Obama, I was paying $4K per year for a $1500 deductible plan, with $3K out of pocket max.

I’ve zero health issues.

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new haven stump jumper

Single Payer is the Only Solution to this mess.
GREEDY INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE THE ONES THAT WROTE THE ACA BILL IN THE FIRST PLACE! They deserve to go bankrupt!

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If you’re a christian… google “medishare” It’s not for evryone but may help you

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I have a friend that makes about $30,000 a year and she says that she has to pay $600 a month for medical insurance is this right

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I make 7.80 an hour but work a lot of overtime so they just terminated my Medicaid. I was on Obama care and got kicked off after 2 months cause I couldn’t afford it. They are looking at my income but not my expenses. I have 9 people in my house and I’m the only one working. I have my 3 grandchildren and 1 grandchild due in March. My disabled daughter and husband who is out of work due to seizures. And I have glaucoma copd emphysema ptsd among other medical issues. Without my meds I will get sick and wind up losing my job. It seems they reward you when you don’t work and when you try to do the right thing and work you get punished.

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I’m at a total loss of what to do. I’ve searched and have found no way out. The health insurance premium for me and my two kids for 2016 is $680 a month. 2017 it will be $940. My wife gets health insurance through her job, so, regardless of what our MAGI is, we are not eligible for any subsidy, and to add us to her work plan would be $1600. We can’t afford the 2016 premium we’re paying now, can’t afford to actually go to the doctor, are living on beans and day-old bread already; what are we going to do when our policy jumps 34% next year? There are even worse plans on the exchange, but they would only save us $100 or so; we can’t afford what we’ve been paying, $100 less isn’t going to make any difference. I checked, and there is no exemption on the marketplace for our situation (and if there was, an HSA won’t make our premium affordable.

I don’t blame the ACA. I had an appendectomy and ear surgery and was denied insurance because of that — before the ACA went into effect. I blame our health insurance and health care problems on the greed of insurance and drug companies; on over-priced procedures and inflated medical costs; I blame those in congress who refuse to fix the flaws in the ACA and make it work, who refuse to do their jobs because they are trying to make this system and Mr Obama fail.

But blaming or not blaming isn’t going to help my family now. If we pay the premium, we’re going to go further into debt just to make the payments. If we don’t buy insurance, we face a tax penalty and a potentially huge debt and bankruptcy if we get sick and need healthcare.

What can we do? There is no out. I can only hope that we don’t get sick, or if we do, that we die quickly.

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So frustrated with this ObamaCare. you say “Affordable Health Plans”

But then the premiums start at $273 for me? I pay a lot of bills (rent, car, insurance etc.) and I make decent money and I still cannot afford any of the health plans advertise to me. So im getting penalized for not having insurance I cannot afford. Thank you

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So, i just looked at my choices this year. We make the same money. Last year my plan cost us $25.00 a month. With nothing changing, i looked again and the new plan is going to cost me $289.00 a month, or i can chose the cheapest plan for 189.00 a month and it pays NOTHING until i hit a 6500.00 deductible. What in the world is going on. 50% increase i could wiggle, but this increase is RIDICULOUS! I really cannot affofd this hike, so guess i will have to be one of the uninsured people….

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timel
This unaffordable act insurance is a joke. I need help.

Thanks

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I need help.. i applied for obama care they told me i dont make enough.. they then told me to try medicaid and they told me i dont qualify because i make more.. i need insurance but i dont know what to do?

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This is not more than a tax, forced on us, there is nothing affordable about it. I am 45 years old I good health and you want me to pay 528.00 per month for 30/70 coverage with a 7500 deductible. Just call it what it is “Death Coverage “

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This is ridiculous.I went from 268.00 a month to 456.00 a month for the same exact plan.I can’t afford this.I guess they don’t consider food and other monthly bills.This is insane.

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This is ridiculous.I went from 268.00 a month to 456.00 a month for the same exact plan.I can’t afford this.I guess they don’t consider food and other monthly bills.This is insane.

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Cost for 3 healthy individuals.

My first year 2014 AHA premiums $246 with $3550 Max out of Pocket Cigna

2015 $167 with $5000 max out of pocket with Humana

2016 $224 with $5000 max out of Pocket w Humana

2017 $ 545 with $15000 max out of pocket with Insurnce companies rated 3 stars or below that no doctors will accept here in South Florida. Like always insurance companies win with the back up from our corrupt politicians.

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Alejandro Damiani the insurance companies aren’t winning, they are being pushed out by other insurance companies. This was all Obama’s fault! Many insurance companies have had to pull their Health Insurance plans from offering them to people because they can’t compete because nobody will buy them because they would have to offer them at an astronomical price. Many of these companies laid off their employees and I am Insurance Broker, so I lost my contracts with those companies to sell their product. Obama Care hurt everybody in so many ways and it’s sickening! Where I live in WY we have one company to choose from on the Market Place and that is Blue Cross Blue Shield. It isn’t an ACA Affordable Care Act, it’s the UCA Unaffordable Care Act! In my 17 yrs of selling insurance, I have never seen such a not well thought out plan and such a complete mess! I feel your pain on all of it because my deductible and insurance premiums are unaffordable and no I don’t get any breaks just because I sell insurance. Hopefully, we will see a huge improvement over the next couple of years.

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This is a form of oppression. …..Obama care should be a choice not forced onto people, I thought we lived in america….the land of the free

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We can get insurance but it’s $850 a month for our family of three, we make 58k jointly and can’t afford that high off premium, and that’s the cheapest plan we can get. If my wife and daughter get insurance and I go without do I still get screwed and have to pay a fine!

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Household income of $84K a year, living a fairly frugal life in a ‘cheap’ part of the country. Basically healthy 50-somethings. Since the ACA our premiums have tripled and the coverage has gotten worse. Healthcare costs now take all our disposable income and are eating into our savings. How the hell is this defined as ‘affordable’?

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Thats what I want to know as well. This “afforable healthcare” act is a big effing joke. I tried to see if I was eligible for a subsidy to help pay for healthcare in 2017, and because I make below Federal Poverty Level Im in eligible. (Keep in mind, FPL for 1 person is $11,000). Im a student who has a part time job who makes roughly around 8,500 annually and was denied a premium credit to help pay for healthcare coverage. I cant get Medicaid in my state. So how can I afford healthcare when its clear that I can barely make fcking ends MEET? Fck this obamacare and this affordable health act this is a bunch of bullSh*t

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we get great coverage from obama crap . 5000. deduct. and 500.month payment .what are they smoking. i gess when we get sick well just give the hosp my 500 a month you dont go to your insurance company when your ill so why do i want to give them my money. o to fill up there jet .

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Oddly enough, I work at a large hospital, oftentimes 40 hours a week, but because I fall under the category of supplemental, I am not offered employer based healthcare or any real benefits package. Unfortunately, at a pay of about $13.40 an hour, I make too much to qualify for medicaid but not enough to reasonably afford the current health plan offers in the market. How am I supposed to get health coverage in this case?

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Obama Care is a joke.I lose my job and now im told i have to pay $250.00 a month with no tax credit. Do i give up my home, my car, lights, gas, water or just get pregant to get assistance. I hope i find a job real soon.

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I’m now at $1200 a month for premiums with a $14100 deductible and they won’t let me put it on a credit card. I’m checking into a bank loan. My wife and I got second jobs to help pay for coverage which knocks us out of any assistance. Our mortgage is only $900 a month. We also dropped the dental insurance portion because that added another $32 a month on top of the $1200. We just can’t work much harder, we took the kids out of their activities to save some money and I’m looking for a 3rd part time job. I have the lowest premium plan available plus all the providers all pulling out here in Iowa.

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I’m 23 years old and I live in Whatcom County, WA and still cannot afford health insurance. I feel like I might have many underlying serious health problems. I haven’t been to the doctor in over 15 years. Anyone know what it takes to get a complete physical for cheap?

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The premiums are ridiculous. Why have insurance when you pay more than your weekly paycheck for a visit? I’ll pass.

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REPEAL OBAMA SCAM, this dude is getting a comfy job at a medical firm and we pay his pension. I cannot afford this filth shoved down our throats by greedy politicians

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Rates are not affordable at all in 2017 in Pinal county Arizona if you are an individual retired and not yet 65 – my estimated premium for basically the same coverage jumps from $275 a month to $1,000 per month and out of pocket per year of 6400 – that is outrageous – how can they do this and call it affordable and expect people to sign up – we are right back where we started with people not signing up.

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Kyle goddamn Stonehouse

I make 20-25,000 a year. But it’s part time work, so my employer isnt required to provide insurance. However; they offer it, and since they do, and I don’t take it, Medicaid rejects me. I dont take it because I can’t afford to give up 30% of my income. The plans on Obamacare all cost $200+ a month and don’t cover anything until you pay $6000 out of pocket. So it’s like paying $200 a month to not have insurance at all. But don’t worry, the government will pay most of it for me; so that I can go back to getting a $600 paycheck and only taking home $350. Becsuse government paying for it actually means I’m just paying more taxes. I pay either way. And now, since Obamacare has driven premiums so high, my company has restructured their benefit wages, and I just took a $4.00/hr pay cut. So now I’ve lost 30% of my income and still don’t have insurance. My teeth are rotting out of my mouth, I haven’t been to the dentist in 5 years, I feel sick and I have to choose between dying and going broke, because talking to the doctor for 15 minutes will cost you a hundred bucks and blood work $500, but it’s still better than paying $2400 a year to have to pay up to $6000 of your costs out of pocket in the first place. I’m sick I’m dying can’t afford insurance and what little money I had from my job Obamacare has ruined that too because my employer faces so many fines and taxes related to employee healthcare they can’t afford to pay me benefit wages anymore. Obamacare has ruined my life. First the government takes 50% of everything ruining the economy and then they turn around and force you to send the 50% you have left on bad insurance with high deductibles and high premiums even though you’re 25 and low risk.

Don’t even blame it on republicans and GOP like that’s supposed to make me feel better. You guys passed it and Obama signed it. I need my teeth fixed, need my health seen to, can’t even afford to eat good because I pay $6,000 in taxes every year on $23,000 gross and don’t get a penny back in tax returns. I eat bologna sandwiches and ramen every single day because it’s all I can afford. And now on top of it all I’ve taken a pay cut because my employer can’t afford Obamacare either.

I hope jay z and Hilary are swanking around at their cocktail party while my teeth rot out of my goddamn mouth and I work my ass off for 5 years without being late or missing a day once risking my life working in horrible weather to take a 4.00/hr pay cut

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TooBrokeForInsurance

I checked into this. The “low-cost” catastrophic plan covers nothing until you pass $8,000 of expenses as your deductible. For this protection, they wanted me to pay almost $400 a month. The only jobs in this area available are part-time minimum wage jobs that will not allow you to take a second job because “you gave to be able to work any shift, any time”. You cannot even support yourself on this, let alone pay $400 a month for nothing.

They base your plan and pay.ent on your coming year’s estimated income. Why? If you start getting good close to your deductible (meaning the plan you pay for may finally have to pay something) they insist on reassessing your income, determine that an adjustment must be made and start your deductible at zero again. This is just fraud.

If you had to go without medical because you couldn’t afford it, despite the fact that you received no benefit, you are charged full price for the months you didn’t have it at tax time. Affordable? The price is much higher, and you get so much less. Not sure who actually gets a subsidy. I was told I don’t make enough income for a subsidy. And no, we don’t have extended medicaid in SC.

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The answer to those complaining is tough s.

I lost my job, I got a new one making much less money, I have to borrow from my 401k (with huge tax penalties) just to make my month to month bill payments and since my new job is self employed it means now my tax rate is skyrocketing AND I have to buy Obamacare even though I can’t even afford to make car payments. Since I’m white, a man and single it means I can go f myself in the a – they don’t care since I’m not in the Obama voting demographic.

Meanwhile Obama is on Twitter saying “TREAT” yourself to “FREE” healthcare and that those “SPOOKY” rate increases aren’t actually a big deal since his voters are all on welfare anyways.

So now since I can’t afford to pay for Obamacare, since my SS tax went from 7% to 15% because I’m self employed – it doesn’t matter – they want their money. Period.

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So even the cheapest plan is doubling its premium, and my annual income went nowhere… and that’s mostly luck. I get a laughable “credit” to my monthly payment, which accounts for less than half the increase… so somehow my other expenses (I’m looking at you, student loans) are going to magically be reduced to compensate? I already save zero for retirement… is that the plan? Pray to live long enough to get on Medicare while the insurance companies rob me for all they can get in the meanwhile? Your money or your life?

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I have told the IRS that I am unemployed, with no income whatsoever. So WHY am I still being threatened by the IRS with a $600+ fine for not having insurance? WHY am I being threatened with jail time? WHY is the IRS threatening to take my home (which I don’t even own) and my property? WHY?

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This is still a JOKE I was far better before this joke !! We all were

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5 years ago, our family coverage cost $8000/yr with a 3500 deductible. The renewal quote we received yesterday is $24000/yr with a 10000 deductible. We have 2 kids in college and cannot afford to spend this kind of money for health insurance. What are we supposed to do?

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As an American, not having freedoms to choose on simple things like Health Care, I am going to quit my job and become a homeless bum. There is no will or point of going to work anymore. Now that we live in a lovely SOCIALIST country why work anymore? There is FREE Health Care, FREE Cash Aid, FREE Section 8, FREE Food Stamps and the list goes on. Thanks Obama, I was against it but now I realize, it’s time to sit back, be a bum and reap the benefits of a socialists 3rd world dump like America.

And of course if Hillary (a continuation of the Obama legacy) gets in, more reasons not to work anymore.

I wanted to start my own business up at one time, but with all the regulations and red tape involved, it’s not worth it. Your truly better off being a bum in the United States then you are sitting in traffic like the rest of the sheep every morning and evening, slaving away your life to make some corporate clown rich while you shed away your hard earned money to a bunch of idiots like the IRS who do NOTHING for you and paying into this new sham of a health care system. I’m done, I just don’t give a (Blank) anymore as there is no hope of getting ahead.

It’s no wonder insurance companies are dropping off the face of the earth like flies. I am glad and hope this all collapses.

I hate America. The dream is over and DEAD.

Thanks!!

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This is RIDICULOUS!!!! The cost of the insurance is MORE than our house payment!!!!!! I can’t afford to pay this! It’s either pick health care or live in my house……HMMMMM…. NO BRAINER!!!!! My house wins!!!!! Since the cost has sky rocketed and many companies have pulled out, we SHOULD NOT be fined since the governments POOR planning of this disaster of insurance has been in play! DO AWAY WITH IT ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I am in tears. My costs are increasing by 57%. I don’t qualify for subsidies or exemptions because I have a good salary. I work for a small company which does not provide health care, so I must purchase it on my own. I am the main earner in my household which includes my husband and me. Our combined insurance costs will more than double, and I don’t know how we will afford it (even though it’s not 8% of my salary). Not to mention, our deductibles are going up from $6000 to $6550, so all of our healthcare will have to be paid for out of pocket. We will be paying $600 a month for the pleasure of paying for all of our healthcare out of pocket. What do you think will happen to the economy when people like me no longer have any disposable income? We will have to cut WAYYYY back this year on our quality of life.

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I am in tears. My health insurance is going from $175.67 to $275.28. That’s more than my car payment. I make a good salary and do not qualify for any subsidies. I am the sole earner for my household which includes my husband. His health insurance will also be close to $300.00. That’s about $600 a month for me. 1/4 of my take home pay! With bills that include a car payment, cell phones, home repairs I had to finance and am still paying for, internet, power, natural gas, gasoline, food, pets, and a legal dispute with my neighbor, I absolutely cannot afford $600 a month. Not to mention my deductible is going from $6000 to $6550, so all my health care costs come out of pocket anyway. Paying this health insurance means I will not be able to afford to go to the doctor!!! No, I do not qualify for an exemption either. My salary is too “good.” I seriously don’t know what I am going to do. Obamacare sucks so much.

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I’m self-employed and work at home but schedule my hours to be 1:30 a.m until noon to help take care of my elderly parents (mom has Alzheimers, dad isn’t too far behind). My premium in 2016 is $275 a month (after the $200 subsidy) but for 2017 that’s going to $490 a month after the $200 subsidy. Crime in Italy! How am i supposed to afford this? So, I could work more hours, earn more money to help afford that – but then pay more in self-employment taxes AND would probably lose the subsidy too. ugh. I’m frugal, have a relatively inexpensive apartment, no cable TV just internet (mainly for work but also entertainment). Car is almost paid off and thankfully don’t have too many expenses there, but have dental expenses that aren’t part of my $275 a month and of course glasses (I’m 57) I only went to the doctor once in 2015 and just my well-woman visit this year. I don’t know what I’m going to do for 2017 and It’s stressing me out to even think about it.

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I hate when people say ” Happy new year “, there s nothing good about a new year, all prices go up, now we can’t afford health insurance..

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Basically people we are shit out of luck. I have been denied chips and Medicaid for my 6 year old and myself. I work 40 hours a week and so does my husband to support our family and we live pay check to pay check . Obamacare will not give my family any tax credits because they say my income is to high. I have pretty much been giving the option of groceries and electric or health insurance. And I will be fined at tax timed by people who will never be faced with this choice . Our country has failed us. I don’t know what to do.

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I just can’t wrap my head around what this country thinks is affordable. With the amount of money it costs to just live in this country….there is no job that pays what is necessary for a family burdened with the high cost of housing, food, gas, schooling, and homeowners, car, life, and health insurances. No politician is going to fix this, they caused this mess. The increases granted to the insurance companies by the states this year is ludicrous. How do they think we can shoulder this? My only choice at this point is to drop our insurance and pay the fine…annually it is more than 50% cheaper than paying for insurance that I never benefit from because of the high deductible and because I’m lucky enough to be relatively healthy! That’s some choice…the good ol’ USA

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So glad you feel for us…the 20% who don’t qualify for exemptions. We vote too!!!!

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The fraction of people who don’t get employer coverage, aren’t on CHIP, Medicare, Medicaid, and don’t qualify for cost assistance or an exemption is a small fraction of the population. I do feel for all parties not seeing a better situation under the ACA, but don’t think it is 20% of anything (certainly not of the general population or even 18-64).

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Kyle goddamn Stonehouse

The fraction of people who cant afford the health insurance they’re provided makes your “smaller than 20%” fraction of people into a much larger number. What’s the difference between these three people: someone with no insurance, someone who can’t pay for it themselves
so they’re provided with crap insurance, and someone who has it, but their deductible is so high they still can’t afford healthcare? You tell me. Seems like the same situation the way I look at it.

I work my ass off on a federal job and I don’t even have health insurance.

The only people I know of with health insurance are unemployed people. Obama wants me to quit my job get food stamps an Obama phone and Obamacare.

If I didn’t work and earn money my life would literally be better in almost every regard. I could afford groceries I could never afford before, have health care, and never pay another phone bill.

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…um not sure where to start, I can’t afford Obama care either, I left my factory job of 30 years to care for my husband, he’s retired on ss and his insurance is through va. To cover just me on Obama care it’s $400 a month $6000 deductible 45% co-pay, we can’t afford that ! So I’m without insurance. I need a real solution answer.

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I’m a single I’m a single divorce parent. I don’t get assistance for rent or food and I got a new better paying job so I could eat more than once a day. So now because I make an extra $260 a month I have to pay $245 for health insurance. WHY? I no longer qualify for free health care. Because my income went up I’m pay an additional $50 for day care? Why? Getting a better job made it worse.

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I just lost my job and am on unemployment while going to school full time. I don’t qualify for Medicaid and I can’t afford any of the premiums for these plans. I’m also regularly in and out of doctors offices for a disorder so the catastrophic plans are useless. What do I do?

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My niece’s insurance was 150.00 mo pre obamacare and she just got her 2017 amount and it’s 750.00for ONE person.. She makes 22,000 a year. How the hell is that? What happened to you can keep your own insurance? I checked and mine is 3000.00 per year which leaves me 9000.00 to live on for the year. ONE INCOME. I hate freaking Obama

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United Healthcare is offering no compliant plans here in Florida. Thanks, AFFORDABLE care act. What is affordable about this? If you are in the middle, you are screwed. It’s really only beneficial for those who make very little money, but if you are low/middle class, you are not getting much help, and those plans have all gone up. No one will admit this is a broken system. All that will be said is all the good it has done. When no one looks at the pitfalls, someone is full of it. Yes, and many, many people will agree with me. Also, thanks for those WONDERFUL plan options this enrollment period. Higher deductiles, higher co-pays, etc.

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This is more frustrating than anything. You charge people copious amounts of money for insurance they barely use. I’m 25 years old, and I’m trying to finish college and I’m going to fall off my parents insurance soon. I work at a grocery store, and I can’t go full time due to my studies, hence I cannot get health insurance through them. If Obama didn’t screw everyone over, I would be able to FINISH college and get health insurance when it fit into MY budget. But I’m so thankful that the people on welfare get a life full of relaxation knowing their housing, food, and insurance bills are all footed by the hard WORKING people in the US.

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$47k a year for family of 4. $452 credit. STILL cannot afford this bull crap. Yeah I can get a free bronze plan…whatever with a $6k deductible per person per year? SO basically, Im paying for health insurance….. well for no health insurance.

Before this crap kicked in… I could get GOOD health insurance for $200 per pay check… and had $30 office copay and $5 prescription drugs. NOW I will have to pay 100%

Obamacare is a huge joke.

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It is a tax. Roberts understood it. Roberts caved in to pressure. If you penalize people for not participating in your mandated program, it is a tax. It is also quite unconstitutional and unfair for a govt to force a marketplace. This whole thing was designed from the beginning to be so complex, so expensive, and so time consuming that it would force a single payer system. The people have had a load of agenda laden rhetoric shoved down their throats. Pass it, then you can read it, she said. It will be better, they all said. Oh, yeah … that’s proven to be really true. My premium has jumped by 50% this year. You can put that where your hope and change don’t shine.

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After reading all these comments from desperate people, I have to wonder how Hillary is ahead in the polls?????

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nathaly big mountain

The IRS will hold back the amount of the fee from any future tax refunds. There are no liens, levies, or criminal penalties for failing to pay the fee.
I just got this copied straight from healthcare. gov
I thought that was good to know meanings that I have never gotten a refund anyway.

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I am looking for facts for healthcare for my son that is in college and since we are a military family, tricare dropped him at age 23 (he’s 24). how is it that obamacare supports this ridiculousness? Now he has to try and purchase healthcare through obamacare at the lowest rate it is $250/mo. But he doesn’t work (school) and if he was to get a job it would all go to supporting healthcare he most likely wouldn’t use. (He’s healthy) but worried he will have to pay a tax in January which he does not have the money for. This is a big circle mess. I also don’t want to hear that it is the GOP’s fault as indicated by many of the responses below- I don’t care what party is responsible- I want it fixed.

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People under 30 are eligible to get catastrophic coverage. The premiums are much much lower, but the coverage is only designed to cover people if they have unexpected costly healthcare issues. He’ll get preventative care before deductible and the lower negotiated reimbursement rate that the insurer gets, but he would be responsible for early medical expenses.

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Obamacare is a disaster. The Democrats have destroyed my life. I cant pay $6000 deductables with $570 a month premium and now that is considered in my best interest ? Then I have to pay a penalty because I cant afford it? This country under Democrats is worse than communism. Before Obama I had a plan $395 for me and my partner, now we have NOTHING but worries.

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ACA has left more people unable to utilize their health care benefits because of gross premiums, deductibles and out of pocket expences and far out ways the new people now covered again leaving those very same people to pay for John, Dick or Harry plus their unaffordable Healthcare. Johnathan Gruber said the ACA is working as planned, I believe him. Obama again has lied, cheated and stolen from the American people. He and his family and all Congress should have Obama care as an example but, you knew it was a scam then and it is demonstrated daily it is a scam now.

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It is always important to remember the millions who would have been unable to get coverage before the law (due to cost or preexisting conditions). We also have to remember that part of the old health care crisis was the rising costs. There are fair critiques of the law, and some involve cost, but the narrative you are presenting here is not a very helpful one. Healthcare reform is not about Obama lying and cheating, it is about reforming the healthcare and health insurance system for the 320 million. We will have a new President soon, but we’ll still have to solve the same issues together long after we can no longer point the finger at the current President.

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Wow our rates just went up over 50% and our premium is more than our mortgage. How can anyone be expected to live with this. I am in tears as I type this because it seems like no matter how hard we try to lift ourselves up and get ahead someone comes and steps on our neck, crushing any effort to rise. I have never in my life had a president that so directly and negatively affected my life.

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Obamacarefacts you keep going on and on about this pre existing condition rant that people with pre existing conditions could not get health insurance or coverage BEFORE Obamacare, and that is part of the scam.

It’s is one of Obama’s flat out lies, along with if you like your doctor and your insurance you can keep your doctor and your insurance.

How do I know this? I am one with pre existing condition and had AFFORDABLE insurance BEFORE Obamacare.

It is the law in many states for insurance to cover people with pre existing conditions and many of this states had this law way BEFORE Obamacare was even a thought.

So please, don’t go there, trying to further deceive those getting hurt by the ACA with the garbage about no one with pre existing conditions ever being able to get health care before Obamacare came into effect.

That is simply not true, and it’s a flat out lie.

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I know people personally who couldn’t get coverage before due to being priced out of any sort of affordable coverage (despite the old preexisting condition pools and laws in some states).

But we will see what happens under President Trump.

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“We will have a new President soon, but we’ll still have to solve the same issues together long after we can no longer point the finger at the current President.”

Oh but we can! Trickle down theory! Remember that little ditty? It really works right? Just ribbing the “trickle down people” is all. No harm no foul.

Anyhow, This system is horribly flawed as we all know. However, it is NOT only the ObamaCare that is flawed. It is rare to find a good deal on insurance anymore. Everyone who had a good plan before was told to get bent. Plans got worse and worse by the day as millions of people LOST their healthcare coverage due to Obummercare. I think the numbers that are projected at the polls are just a tad off to make the plan look better on paper.

Now let me toss this one by you all. And please pardone me, I am a bucket mouth …err uh fingers… I was on my wifes health plan provided through her employer. I will leave the name of said employer out to protect her job. Their coverage was pretty good IF you could afford $6500 deductible and $11000 out of pocket max. Oh I can still hear the words 9.5% Ray….. Only 9.5%. Hmmm. Now that coverage was coming out of a total monthly income of around $1600 /month to the tune of around $265 a month for the both of us. Where does that 9.5% come in to play? Oh it is the cost of the premium in retrospect to your monthly take home pay NOT INCLUDING your money that it costs to go to the doctor with such high deductible and out of pocket cost. %9.5 …….

I have MAJOR health issues that I do NOT expect any hard working American tax payer to cover. I did it to my self, I should man up and own it. I used to trim trees on the side to make extra money to “Get By”. Until one day guess who fell from about 30′ in the air to the ground flat on his back. My back is destroyed. In the process I lost my job, lost my house, lost my girlfriend and daughter. Then iw as offered Cobra at the low low price of almost 1k per month while unemployed. Remember good old Cobra insurance?

Fast forward a few years, I started getting MRI done and spinal injections to curb the pain since I had no insurance and could not afford major back surgery to fuse the spine and remove 4 discs and screw 3 of them back together that to this day are still broken. Through it all, I have gained some weight from not being mobile due to a essentially broken back for almost 15 years. Gained a lot of weight, picked up type 2 diabetes and non alcohol fatty liver disease.

So now my dr refers me to his financial lady because I cant afford to use insurance to come see him due to the cost. I appreciate his effort. He is an awesome guy. The financial lady looks at my insurance and says oh my god get off of your wife’s insurance and get this Silver plan! Ok. Surely she knows more than I so dropped me my wife did. I go to get my Silver plan and no back pain coverage. No Pain management coverage. No weight loss coverage that my dr said will essentially save my life. Not just weight loss surgery folks, weight loss programs in general. Was it Obummers wife pushing the our kids are to obese thing? But its ok for us adults? Hmmm Anyway, I know its not their fault Im big. Moving on.

Specialist visits. JOKE! With me being diabetic, I have to see a podiatrist to get my toes trimmed which really sucks and is embarrassing to be honest. Specialist. GI Dr for my fatty liver, specialist. My neurosurgeon for my back is a specialist. I am now allowed up to 3 whopping specialist visits per year. So which one do I go see? Oh and just tossing this out here, I get spinal injections twice a year for 3 weeks straight. it takes me no less than 5 specialist visits per session to get my injections. Oops!

Now back to that whole 9.5% thing. All the issues I just listed fall under the old Pay out of pocket thing. Ok cool. After my wifes insurance for her self, bills, gas money for the month for work alone, my Silver plan, house payment, car payemt and car insurance, water, sewer, house phone only, and garbage, we had $5.65 left over this month. $5.65…….. 9.5%. 9.5% of what?

Someone mentioned suicide earlier. At the rate I am going, it would be easier for me to bite a bullet and get my wife some death benefit from SSI for me and her live a little better life without me burdening her or the bank account. I am going down hill quickly and am nothing but a burden on society as a whole. F* all that. I was a hard worker all my life and paid my own way. Now they want me to go silver and take tax credits that you the tax payer have to pay for. But the rich can afford it right? Let them pay my fair share. WRONG! I need no ones money. I appreciate the gesture.

One little trick we all know is to adjust our taxes so we pay nothing each week or barely. Just enough to NOT have to pay back at the end of the year. This little trick makes it so they can not keep any of our refund as a penalty for not having insurance if I decide to not get it again. BEWARE PEOPLE this bring sup a new issue. if you owe any monies to collections, they can brick your check if you bring your take home pay up any higher than 40 times the minimum wage ($384 as of 2016) . Be very careful with the avoid the penalty tricks.

Ok I’m done now, let the poking with sharp pointed object begin on me since I rambled so much.

In the words of a wise man, “Take care of yourselves, and each other”. ~Jerry Springer~

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Obama scared me and my family. Cost is through the roof. Moron.

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That’s a pretty lame answer for people who are having a hard enough time coping. “Hey, you have money problems and health problems so you’d better read up and educate yourself on what to do. It’s all on you to figure out our changes. So we hope you have a computer and internet access and time and the brains to jump through our hoops. Good luck, we feel for you but not enough to provide a human being to help you through this.”

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When a person has no income and lives in a state that didn’t expand Medicaid there is no simple answers for them. This frustrates me to no end, but it is very complex to solve (as each state and region without expansion will have its own little tips and tricks, like seeking out a specific charity). My general answer is to check with local assisters in public hospitals, at programs for low-income people, and to call the state medicaid department. There are millions of Americans who need answer here, but states rejecting Medicaid has made this difficult.

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This is a joke and one that has hurt everybody. We are a family of six, and our new premiums for a mostly major medical plan are going up to $1600/mo. We’re a farming family, so we get screwed being self-employed, and also because our adjusted gross income is too high to qualify for ANYTHING, despite the fact that most of that income goes back into farming or is taken in taxes. I seriously don’t know what to do and have considered all options. The ACA is going to break our family. Thanks.

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Just reviewed over the new premiums – my old was $24 p/month and now its $460 p/month. I am the only one working with a family of four – there is NO WAY I can cut this out of my paycheck between rent, food, basic necessities (we don’t have luxury items like cable or dish, we have no TV services!), being able to afford gas and keeping up with bills – how do you expect me to pay for all of that?? This is complete government robbery! This increase is past ‘cutting us short’, I now have to choose either abiding by the law and getting mandatory health insurance OR feeding my children??? How dare you! I used to believe in our government was doing whats best for its people…you are forcing people to choose to break the law or stave.

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It sounds to me like you went below the 100% FPL limit or above the 400%. There is no way (unless you had an ultra cheap grandfathered plan) that $24 was the old full price and $460 the new full price. The rate hikes are an average of 22%, your increase is obviously well beyond that. Are you applying through the marketplace? You may want to double check what income you are projecting. Assistance is based on actual income for the year, and since that has happened yet, you still have time to wiggle around using HSAs, 401ks, other deductions, and even controlling your income (by working a bit more or less if needed).

I get the frustration, and you aren’t alone, but the increase you describe seems fishy compared to the way you describe your other costs.

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So basically what you’re advocating for middle class earners is to reduce their expenses in order to afford mandated coverage that we don’t want? Is that about the size of it? I know many people who were perfectly happy with their coverage before it was cancelled due to ACA minimum requirements. We all know how this works friend. The plan was designed to fail to begin with. Tax us to death so desperation drives us to beg the government for single payer. The fact that you have a website defending this travesty utterly amazes me.

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The main point of the website is to help people navigate the ACA, but yes it is also meant to defend the rights of those who don’t speak up. I know millions face higher costs, but the other millions are getting affordable coverage for the first time. I personally want to see lots of fixes, but gotta deal with what we got. In that line of thinking we are making actionable suggestions like “find out how to utilize the amazingly tax advantaged HSA” and “check out section 1332 state-based alternatives”.

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Not fishy if you live in AZ. The same plan that we had last year went from $400/month to $1200/month. That is a fact.

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Obama care is the reason I can’t afford health care and its going up. So now what? I have no extra income to put towards a plan with shared cost even if I qualified yet the government which is taxing me over 20,000 a year is going to fine me a ridiculous fine that I wont be able to pay because like I said I have no extra money. THANKS OBAMA AND JERRY BROWN!!!! I feel your pain my working class brothers…

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Cost assistance is based on household income compared to family size and the federal poverty level. https://obamacarefacts.com/federal-poverty-level/

If you pay $20,000 in income taxes, then your income is fairly high and perhaps that has priced you out of cost assistance. I know many people struggle with high incomes due to other costs, so I won’t take that from you. However, you may want to look into an HSA in this case. It is hard to give specific advice without any specifics, but your frustration is noted.

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The average premium will go up 25% next year? So if that’s an average, take the number of catastrophic plans, which is probably hundreds of thousands if not millions, and realize they pay next to nothing if not nothing at all. So their increase goes up very little if any. The average will be lobsided to the American tax payer. We will see increase of 50% or more. Cities and towns all over America are limited to 1 or 2 providers. There is no competition. No choices. 85 providers leave and less than 20 enter. We are 20 trillion in debt, with a horrible gdp to deficit ratio. WE ARE RUNNING A DEFICIT FOR PETE’S SAKE!! We are not Iphones to tweak and play with. We are human beings and Americans. When did it become so impossible to grow a small business or have choices.?

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high deductible insurance is going to kill people.!!! anyone who depends on medication and can’t afford the ludicrous deductibles are going to go without!!! So when u have diabetic people losing limbs and depressed people harming themselves or worse, but at least we will know who to Sue.

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Health care premiums are too high. Even after paying hundreds of dollars required by the government for healthcare and the money going out in child support I’m left with a negative balance each month that has now gotten me in a lot of debt. God forbid I have to use the health care I can’t afford the deductible. If health care and child support (and I still have my children 50% of the time) take up 70% of my income after taxes there isn’t enough left for bills. Health care was cheaper before this. And I have to agree with another poster, you are better off to not work, take the free health care plus state assistance. I understand why many people work under the table regardless of the “consequences” why do we let the wealthy of America decide policy? This country used to be built on hard work and honesty but it is not present in our politicians or our business leaders and the majority now suffer.

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Overall outlay for our family of 4 in 2017 with Obamacare: $18,000 a year in premiums, PLUS $6800 / person deductible, $13,500.00/per family. and 30% co insurance. And paying for maternity when my wife has no uterus. In our house, we call it “SH–CARE”. We are out of the program as of the end of 2016, no more of this insanity for us. No more of us subsidizing others, at $31,500.00 per year, even if the care was wonderful, which it is not, it still would not be worth it. Good-bye

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I am a single mother of a newly 18 daughter who just graduated High School. I’m also a disabled Veteran who goes to the VA that only covers service connected things. The VA will not cover my daughter because she just turned 18 in August, and I’m disabled not retired military. We do not qualify for access because I’m not on unemployment, and medicaid is not in my state. My ex-husband refused to put her on his insurance this year, because he’s out of state. We are living on my student loans, and I’m only bringing in $350 a month on my 30% disability. Why am I going to be taxed $1.5k for not having insurance that I can’t afford?

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They “feel” for me. Hahahaha

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What if you don’t make any money and aren’t on disability. How do you get insurance if you can’t pay for it.

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What if you don’t make any money and aren’t on disability. How do you get insurance if you can’t pay for it.

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If your state has expanded Medicaid, then you would apply for Medicaid in your state. If not, than you are automatically exempt from the requirement to have health insurance or owing the fee because your income is below the Tax Filing Threshold.

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I’m sick of obamacare! My health insurance just went from 250.. To 300..$. I’m on the income base and I can’t really afford the 250 a month. I also had to pay $500. In federal tax because I was told I didn’t pay enough for my insurance. There are young people able to get off their asses and go to work, yet they get ALOT of Food Stamps and Medicaid to set on there lazy asses and do nothing but breed! What the hell are the elderly suspouse to do, curl up in a ball and die! Fuck you OBAMA! I hope TRUMP wins and takes out your damn legacy!!!

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You said in your answer “People who are exempt due to affordability (or some hardship exemptions like being denied Medicaid) can get a low cost catastrophic plan outside the marketplace (exemption required unless you are under 30).”

Why did you specify “outside the marketplace”? There are also catastrophic plans *inside* the market place. The identical catastrophic plan where I live costs more if purchased outside the marketplace. The catastrophic plans outside the marketplace may be qualified or NON-qualified (see below).

Since the lowest cost bronze plan costs about 15% of my income, I qualify to do one of three things: 1) go without insurance and without penalty at tax time 2) buy a qualified catastrophic plan inside or outside the marketplace or 3) by a non-qualified plan.

The qualified catastrophic plans are still pretty expensive. The one available where I live will cost 10% of my income. Not great, but the option of no insurance is not one I’m willing to accept. Catastrophic Insurance is for protection against catastrophic medical events, not so much for everyday use, although the catastrophic plans do still cover some things without deductibles and copays.

The NON-qualified plans are generally less expensive than the qualified ones but have all the problems of pre-ACA insurance plans: underwriting, pre-existing condition exclusions, benefit caps, etc. Many of them also have duration limitations e.g. you can get them only up to a maximum of 6 months (depending on state) since they are mostly for bridging coverage gaps.

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Thank you for pointing that out. I will make sure that gets corrected on this page. Also thanks for the additional information as well.

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My option as a 27 year old working at a non-profit with no employer-provided options, and making $30000 (just above the assistance pay rate) is to pay premiums for a plan that offers no real coverage, pay premiums soon to increase to 1/5 of my paycheck, or be penalized for not having coverage; a penalty which is also rapidly increasing. Alternatively I can jump on my wife’s employer-provided plan for 1/4 of my paycheck. So there are zero quality options for the middle class and for young adults trying to build a life. The governments response to this problem is “you have many options,” ignoring the fact that every option is a terrible one.

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—You can tell this site is watched by a liberal A=====hole

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Well our great country was founded on the principles of liberalism, so I’ll take that as a compliment. My favorite principle is probably freedom of speech, not always in practice, but in principle.

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What is your advice to those of us whose premiums double or even triple in 2017? Many people will be forced to drop coverage and pay the fine. Where will that leave them? Poorer and with NO insurance. Thoughts?

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The first advice is to shop around. Second is to look into all options including assistance, exemptions, HSAs, self-employment, cutting back hours, working more. This will be different for every family. Then i’d likely try to find low-cost catastrophic coverage that counts as minimum essential coverage and avoid the fee. It really depends on a family’s needs though.

medication should be exempt from high deductible insurance period people depend on these meds to live and if u think for a second they will be able to pay the outlandish cost for prescription till they meet the deductible. This will cause people to go without becouse of costs. People will be hurt or worse. Your literally going to have blood on your hands.

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What else would expect to be defending this unaffordable socialized attempt at healthcare?

The cheapest plan I can find for me is 14% of my annual income. That’s a mortgage payment. Ridiculous.

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If the cheapest plan you are offered is more than 8.13% you income, you are exempt from the Individual Mandate to have insurance and from paying the fee. File for an exemption.

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obamacare is a complete joke. Despite if you love or hate obama has nothing to do with is happen to millions. If you change oil for a living, you are not living paycheck to paycheck, but more to 4 to 5 days till net paycheck. Since you are working, you do not get any help, or fit in any government plan. Sorry, there isn’t a plan to supports the people who fall in the middle, but wants to work. If you get laid off your job, and can’t afford cobra, like most people. Then it takes 3 months to get a job, then it takes 3 months to get insurance, why should I or anyone have to be taxed? This is still America, and the poor should not be taxed because they are poor. This is pathetic at best.

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If you change oil for a living the chances you qualify for cost assistance is probably high. If you get laid off and can’t afford COBRA you can get marketplace coverage (which is better than it was before). I get the frustration, but not sure this is the best example.

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I’m sick been sick for months can’t afford insurance can’t get Medicare gu as the poor simply die

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When checking for plans the website asks for income but not expenses. ACA is not affordable at $474 for a single person’s monthly rate. What can I do to get an exemption?

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My premium jumped from 35 bucks per month to 320 per month in a year time. I’m a waitress with 3 teeagers. I do recieve an extra 400 per month to my income for servivors benifits. I’m all alone with no help at all. I don’t get foodstamps, wellfare, ect….Why was I excluded.

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Even if I stretched my budget to pay the premiums for the health plan I could never afford to use it because they want me to pay 40% of the bill. $695 is half the premiums and as long as I make sure I don’t get a refund the IRS can’t collect the $695. They need to just cover everyone and tax employers based on the hours worked. Good Companies already pay health care so it would not be a burden to them. Those who try to avoid or pay provide the minimum health coverage would pay more but then again they are cheap and greedy so I don’t care if they have to pat more. Companies use part-time to avoid things like health care, Vacation and sick time. We need laws to force companies to pay these benefits to their part-time employees at a reasonable rate per hour worked.

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I barely can make the $300 monthly ACA payments. Just received a notice that my premium will increase to $500.
Where the crap am I supposed to get the extra income? If I get another job then it will lower my supplement and increase my payment even more.
This is making the poorer even poorer.
This program STINKS! Worst idea ever.

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We can’t afford obama care anymore. If we take lower premiums then we have to suffer trying to pay bills. Obama or this healthcare does not care for middle class, they have millions we have a few thousand. Noting about this helps us.

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obamacare is horrible

im a single mother of 1 child, living on long island. I work two jobs, making about 35000 a year.. rent is 1400 a month, and I have credit card bills, after school day care payments so I can work, living costs, car insurance, car note… barely making it week to week with money in my pocket… and I currently have no insurance because OBAMAcare says I can afford “LOW COST” health insurance with payments of about 300 or more dollars a month, with catastrophic deductibles, 7,000 8,000 deductibles.. really? whats the point in even having the insurance, might as well have no insurance take the penalty.. and get back to taxes at all… and just pay out of pocket for doctors visits if I’m dying and over the counter medications aren’t helping. so basically just die…. until you feel you have no choice but to go to the doctor.. its DISGUSTING. I don’t receive child support but my daughters father has Medicaid food stamps and housing……. something is definitely wrong with America. What’s the point in working? Might as well stay home and get everything for free… that’s basically what America has come to.. the Hard working middle class gets screwed. Its so frustrating. and literally makes me sick. So work hard all year long, waiting for your income taxes and getting nothing in return because they FINE YOU for not having the LOW COST INSURANCE that they TELL you that you can afford… lol. It’s sick..

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I am 57 years old, and make $68,000 per year (gross). My health care plan is going up to over $700 per month!! That’s almost 25% of my weekly take home pay. What part of AFFORDABLE is that!??? So, my other option is to take a plan that will cost me over $600 PER MONTH, and have NO hospital coverage at all. I can’t afford any of this. I am basically a healthy person. I don’t go to the doctor very often. But the doctor I have had for years is PPO only. Or, I can just pay him $90 per visit, which is far, far less costly than my current medical insurance plan. The insurance companies, once again, are taking all the money from everyone – the individuals, the doctors and all the hospitals, labs and other health care providers while they continue to get richer and richer. I just want a hospital plan and a prescription drug plan.

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I am 57 years old, and make $68,000 per year (gross). My health care plan is going up to over $700 per month!! That’s almost 25% of my weekly take home pay. What part of AFFORDABLE is that!??? So, my other option is to take a plan that will cost me over $600 PER MONTH, and have NO hospital coverage at all. I can’t afford any of this. I am basically a healthy person. I don’t go to the doctor very often. But the doctor I have had for years is PPO only. Or, I can just pay him $90 per visit, which is far, far less costly than my current medical insurance plan. The insurance companies, once again, are taking all the money from everyone – the individuals, the doctors and all the hospitals, labs and other health care providers while they continue to get richer and richer. I just want a hospital plan and a prescription drug plan.

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I am 45 and have had health insurance all my life and marketplace insurance in 2015. I had to payback $1,500 for 2015 coverage and had to opt out of coverage for 2016 because the premiums doubled and even though I received a pay increase all that did was completely disqualify me from qualifying for a tax credit. I support the idea of the healthcare reform but am VERY concerned with the actual results. I still can’t believe I am uninsured for the first time in my life!! The premiums are 1/2 the cost of my rent! How do I find affordable coverage? I want REAL coverage not just some inflated deductible or catastrophic plan to meet the new law!

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I really hate Obama care , me and my husband don’t qualify for any tax credit so we have to pay everything but we can’t ,we are paying mortgage, water ,gas and school I mean this is wrong!!!!!!! I hope the next president fix this!!!!!!!!

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I am drowning in debt thanks to this Healthcare. I had insurance last year and what I could barely afford was $567 for the cheapest plan. My gallbladder went bad and the hospital bill was over 20k and they did not take it out yet…… My insurance covered 7k of that. Then this year my insurance went up to $697….I chose to go without it to try to climb out of debt but the government will now penalize me! I own a small business and can’t afford this!

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In 2016, your out-of-pocket maximum could be no more than $6,850 for an individual plan and $13,700 for a family plan before marketplace subsidies. If your insurance is not covering the costs beyond your out-of-pocket maximum then you need to find out how to appeal the claims through your insurer.

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My adult unmarried son has Asperger’s, and still works a $10 hrly job- which grosses him at about 20K per year, or about $1700 gross per month. He earns too much for Medicaid! Basic math & common sense (which congress is NOT good at) tells me he cannot afford Health Care. $750 rent & utilities, $50 Phone, $130 car ins, 0 for old rickety car, $400 child support, $250 various taxes, $250 food…uhhh hello that is already in the red and does not include such things as gas or registration, vehicle repairs, much less hair cuts or a vacation. These are not frivolous expenses, Mr President, these are LIFE expenses, non negotiable. Congress needs to be required go out and live on $20K a year with no help, before they can hold office. SO, he will adjust his w-4, so he DOES NOT get a refund, and that way IRS cannot take it. The ACA law is CLEAR that this is a penalty tax the IRS cannot arrest you, freeze your money or levy property. So, for those of you who cannot pay for Insurance, go ask a tax account to help you adjust your W-4 (that is the form you fill out when you start a job that tells the employer how much money to withhold for taxes.) The IRS can, however, collect the penalty from the next year IF you have a refund. So, plan your withholdings carefully (owe some tax), but don’t pay a penalty when you only earn $20K a year.

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Well as all others have said, Obamacare is a JOKE!!. I just got our notice for the 2017 insurance premium increase. It has gone up $300 / month for 2017. Since December 2015, to January 2017, basically a year and a month, our premium has gone up $700 / month. We are a family of 4, no health issues, just get our annual preventative check up. We cannot afford that, I can’t afford the last increase. We are a small business, no big corporate group insurance, and don’t get the luxury of the government workers who elected to opt themselves out of Obamacare, so here we are “stuck and up the creek without a paddle. Overall outlay for our family in 2017 with Obamacare: $18,000 a year in premiums, PLUS $6800 / person deductible, and 30% co insurance. And paying for maternity when I don’t have a uterus. In our house we call it “SH–CARE”.

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For a family of 6 I cannot find any affordable health insurance. Everything is far more expensive than my mortgage and that makes no sense. My family does not qualify for a tax credit, yet we cannot afford to pay this outrageous cost! I just found out that the plan I have $1600/month (which already pays for NOTHING) is being discontinued and the next cheaper one I can get from my provider will be almost $2000 next year!!!!

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I work 70 hours per week and am the soul provider for a family of three with a disabled son that my wife has to care for. For the first time in my life we are all uninsured and the fines at the end of the year are expected to financially destroy my family. We will never own a home, we have no future. We are slowly slipping into bankruptcy and the ACA is the direct cause. We have decided to file for divorce over this issue as my family can no longer afford to stay together. I have real, deep seated hatred for anyone who even attempts to defend this. Burn in hell.

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My family has chosen to go off market for health insurance because Obamacare and the chip program for our children would be more than our mortgage $1,167/month (why ?!?!?!?!) to be exact. It still is right around the same as our mortgage but not as high as Obamacare. We are self-employed and we are being raked through the coals living pay check to paycheck even dipping into savings now to pay for health insurance. We are hardworking people and have never felt so trapped. We’re not wealthy, but we work hard and pay our taxes. It’s unfair that we are paying outrageous premiums for something we need. My husband and two boys have the lowest premiums and I have the gold because of having a baby this year and I didn’t want to pay the ridiculously high deductible. I’m not looking for handouts I’m simply letting the government know that it’s not working for us and please let the American people handle insurance ourselves the way it was before. I understand that there is no perfect solution for health insurance but the Affordable Health Care act is destroying the middle class and the American dream of being self-employed.

In response to this statement: “Hopefully other people will post some suggestions below, it’s of course not an easy question to answer and we feel for people finding themselves in this position,” stay out of health insurance.

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My health insurance is increasing nearly $500 a month in 2017. This should be renamed the unaffordable healthcare act. Also, BCBS dropped my plan. What a country! You are better off paying the penalty and taking your chances.

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My husband and I earned 82,000 BEFORE taxes last year. That means that we brought home about 60,000. We don’t own a home, we rent. We don’t live high. If cable is living high then we have a basic plan
. We have no health insurance. The cheapest plan for us last year was 1,450 per month. We have been fined every year. I’m 60, he”s 55. What do we do? Why are we being punished for working all our lives?

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I this is crap. A family of four worth am income of 40,000 is barely enough to live. Wet pay our bills that wer have to have and the ones that the law imposes on us (rent,elect,water,car insurance). After these are all paid we are scraping change together to buy groceries…..very cheap groceries! Not healthy! Cheap! Which in the long causes medical problems that wer can’t afford because we can’t afford another bill every month. Aka some wer can’t afford it or wonderful (pshhhh)president charges a very large fee….a few for being middle class.
In order to be exempt from this nonsense the lowest priced plan must be more than 8% of your income. Do you realize how much that is? 266 per month for us! That’s a whole freaking lot! Enough for a car payment! I’m driving my two small children around in a car that is about to break down, because with our income we cannot afford the *extras” such as car payments, or any kind of financing for anything! It just wouldn’t be smart. 40,000 is a good income. Better than a lot of other people’s situations, but it’s just enough for a family of four to get by on. We don’t EVER go on vacation,never to the movies, or the mall. Our clothes come from goodwill, and a treat for us is to eat out somewhere like a cheap Mexican restaurant ($10 per plateam is a lot for us. ).
Im not complaining about my life. Im very happy. But the middle class is constantly punished. Either paying a fine or not being Rich enough, or paying more and being denied any help for not being poor enough.
This is not affordable health care. It’s cheaper to pay doctor bills at the self pay rate! With the hopes that you don’t end up having to be admitted into the hospital. Im one of the ones who are just having to take my chances. Not by choice. By nessesiy.
The only advice this whole group of Obama care pushers can offer is basically ”sorry bout your bad luck! ”
I’m sure president Obama is losing tons of sleep (on his expensive white house luxury bed) at night about what he has done to people like me.
I know I sure am.

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Your right that the benefits of the Affordable Care Act are not well distributed. I assume that you and your family are restricted from using the marketplaces because of the “Family Affordability Glitch” related to Employer Coverage. If you were allowed to use the Marketplace and receive cost assistance for premiums and out-of-pocket expenses you would probably have a much different perspective. At $40,000 annual a family of 4 is 164% of the Federal Poverty Level (for 2017) and your families portion of the premium costs would be reduced by the amount it would take to keep the second lowest cost silver plan at 6.41% of your families income. In addition, you would have been eligible for Cost Sharing Reduction Subsidies (CRS) to reduce the deductible and copay that your family are responsible for.

TIP: Some state marketplaces do not show CRS on their sites and you must instead call the insurer’s offering Silver Plans to find out what portion of the deductible and copay you would be responsible for. Your families income must be below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level and it is only available on Silver Plans.

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I am a free-lance graphic designer in excellent health who has not been able to find work. I am 55 so my prospects are rather dim for employment as I am an immediate health risk. I live paycheck to paycheck. Currently I am trying to sell some possessions on ebay to cover living expenses. With rent, food, renters insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, no cable just an internet connection, a cell phone, gas and electric, and health insurance (a $405/month Anthem bronze plan that leaves me $11,000 immediately in the hole if something catastrophic happens) – SOMETHING WILL GO UNPAID.

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I want to address the man that is the graphic designer. I understand your situation. My husband and I are in the same boat. Both freelancers, my husband is a graphic designer too. He worked 27 year for the same agency, then one day, the place sold and everyone was let go. For the last 3 years it has been all freelance work, and plenty of it, until the last 5 months, and now nothing at all. Not even one little thing. Our health insurance through his company was great. We bought our own insurance in 2014 after the layoff, the premiums were $1000. a month with a $3500. deductible for each person. 2015, the premium was 1500. a month, with a 3500.00 deductible for each person. 2016, the premium is now $1125.00 per month, with a $3500.00 deductible for him, and a $6000. deductible for me. We had to split our policies. NOW for 2017 we are looking at a premium of $1700. per month and $6000. deductible for each of us. I am rarely sick, and take no Rx and I am 58 years old. My husband OTOH who is a very fit (meaning trim and runs daily) 61, has all sorts of genetic issues, already had heart surgery, etc. and his Rx per month without insurance is $800. We are blowing through our savings fast. We get qualify for no subsidy at all as up until April 2016, our income was very good. BUT, when going to sign up for the 2017 plan they ask only ONE question, how much our income will be for 2016. Well our income for 2016 will be $52,000. but that ended in April. They need to ask how much you are making RIGHT NOW and expect to make in 2017, since the premiums being paid will be for 2017 and NOT 2016. There is no thinking outside the box when it comes to the ACA.

And to the moderator of this blog, I understand you are trying to help, but it does not help to tell overworked, worried, scared people to take it to their congressmen/women. They barely have the energy to go home from work, make dinner, take care of the kids, etc. I read every post on this site today, and have to say, any change that might come to pass from this slow as molasses congress is not going to help any of these people on this blog, who are really in dire need and do not have 5 years to wait for fat cat politicians to get the “OK” from their puppet masters to finally do something about this national catastrophe.

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Since Obama Care started my insurance went from $240/month for my wife and I to $500/month, to now more than $850/month. I’m done. I’ll pay the penalty (which is a tax) and gladly save the $10,200 in premiums and $12,000 deductible (before anything is actually covered – what a joke. AND IT”S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE AS MORE AND MORE INSURANCE COMPANIES OPT OUT.

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There is nothing affordable about Obama Care! What a joke! Way to go democrats way to go!

Government needs to stay out of the insurance industry!

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Im paying a few hundred a month in insurance that i cant afford to use because the deductible is soo high. I work i pay my taxes and before obama got involved i could have healthcare and use it to. Can we get back to that? My wife is due anyday now and wont be working for a while. Now down to one income and insuring 3 people my monthly payment will be around 400. Does that sound reasonable?

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I live in California and make 3000 a month. The cheapest plan from my job would be 1400 a month for me and my son. Rent is 1800. Don’t qualify for assistance and can’t afford insurance.

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It’s difficult to find out state specific eligibility guidelines for CHIP, but based on the graph, your son will qualify for CHIP (Medicaid for kids) and CHIP costs are reduced or eliminated depending on family income. According to this California offers CHIP coverage to children in families making less than 261% of FPL (for a family of two that would be up to $41,812 in 2017). Usually, but not always, employer coverage for the employee is fairly reasonable and it is adding in family members that is a big expense. So you would take your employers coverage for just you and you will apply for CHIP in California for your son’s coverage. I hope that this information helps.

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so i am making ok money to support my family, we have no health insurance and have been paying cash for all medical (X-rays cost about $30). we will have to pay this year over $3000 in fine for not having health insurance, but to get health insurance it would cost over $24000 a year before health insurance would do anything which is over %25 OF OUR INCOME. our auto covers us in car accidents, lni covers work injuries, so how can we justify paying for something that will cost more than our home every year before it does anything, but yet we have to pay a fine for paying for 100% of our medical expenses since we dont qualify to get assistance from any government agency?

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If your coverage costs more than 8.13% of your families income, you qualify for an exemption from owing the fee for not having insurance and from the requirement to have minimal essential coverage. You have to apply for that exemption through Healthcare.gov.

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I am at my wits end because I have been dealing with severe stomach problems since 2014, but I am an uninsured college student, and get denied for medicaid, yet get crazy high choices I cannot afford due to not being able to work because I am literally too sick, but I am screwed because I need to work because, again, I am a college student (though this has literally gotten me to the point of having to do all online courses). It sucks but I have no options what so ever, my biggest hope is in the upcoming elections, sadly, Trump gets in so he can repeal it. I literally wish I could move up to Canada, but alas, too broke.

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I make roughly 19,000 a year. My job offers me insurance but its to much for me. I live on my own, and I go to school. Is there any options for me? Even if the insurance through my job is considered affordable, under Obamacare, there’s no way I can afford over 100 bucks a month. But I need health insurance.

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I recently moved to a new state and I found out I was pregnant. I have 3 kids and my husband is the only one working. May I add I have an autistic child. My husband makes good money but with food and rent and every other bill we’re left with nothing.I dont qualify for insurance and neither do my kids even with a disability. So you want us to be dead beat parents and just get welfare and in order for us to be insured. Welcome to america people where the rich stay rich and the middle class don’t exist

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Should I just go without health care? Im 48 and healthy. And I make around $50,000 per year. But still just seem to break even with child support, bills and everything in between.
Another $300 per month for the most basic coverage and high yearly deductible just doesn’t makes sense.

If something catastrophic happens there’s always the county hospital?

Thoughts.

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Is there any help for me – On permanent SSA Disability due to Stroke; I’m 54 years old and can’t afford supplemental ins to Medicare to cover what Medicare doesn’t. My Medicare will be starting in Dec. and I am so worried I won’t be able to afford the health care I need and the many prescriptions I MUST have.

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Breaking my back for nothing

For my wife an myself the cheapest insurance is more than my house payment and has a $15K deductible. Even if I could afford the insane premium the insurance is worthless as I also have to pay all medical costs out of pocket until I hit $15,000 dollars.

People here are right we are better off being unemployed than working in this system.

This is the most devastating policy to the middle class who pay for this country to operate.

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First, under the ACA health insurance plans must have a $14,300 out-of-pocket maximum for a family plan. So the deductible for a family plan can’t exceed that amount.

The ACA isn’t perfect and its confusing at times. Many people come here to get advice and we try to offer the best advice we can about the law and people’s options. The best advice isn’t always fair and it isn’t always affordable either.

Second, I have seen this comment a lot here “better off being unemployed than working in this system,” but have yet to see anyone actually unemployed who is actually better off, even after the ACA went into affect. If people are so certain that they’d be better off unemployed, perhaps they should try being unemployed and let everyone know how that goes.

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Well, I am feeling trapped. My husband lost his job in 2013, can’t find anything else- he’s 50 and apparently too old. I am working two part-time jobs- earning $36000 a year. I’m 48. I was recently turned down for a full-time job because they didn’t like the fact that I have been working part-time for several years. So, the cheapest health insurance plan we could find is $800 a month, with a $3700 deductible. We have to pay 100% of any doctor bills until we reach that deductible. We don’t go to the doctor anyway. We were given a subsidy to bring the health insurance down to $500 a month, but it’s still a huge hit on our income. I pay approximately 30% to fed, state and city income taxes- this leaves $21,600 a year. So, $6000 to health insurance, $3400 to property tax, then there is house and car insurance, utilities, etc. We don’t have cell phones or cable TV and I seriously don’t have anything left to cut out. All I hear is that since we are “old”, we are a big drain on the system. Like I said, we don’t go to the doctor- all they know how to do is to push pills anymore. So, we are paying a huge amount of money for nothing and being penalized for being “old and decrepit”.

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America is officially in an epic healthcare crisis, not just for younger people just starting out in life that want to be gainfully employed, but it is even worse for people who are chronically ill or have diseases with no cure. I am 44, not 24, like many of the others commenting who are having trouble paying their insurance and still be able to take care of their basic needs–but make too much to qualify for subsidies. I hope you do not ever get really sick, need a surgery or get diagnosed with a serious disease because that is where Obamacare completely unravels. I own my own business (no employees, just me), working 60 plus hours a week and I can no longer afford my health insurance after paying $20K out of pocket from 2014-2016. The biggest problem is, I have Lupus, a chronic disease with no cure. My deductibles have been over $6,500 each year, which I have to pay IN FULL the FIRST MONTH of every year to cover the cost of my monthly medication (the cost of the drugs part of the problem, one infusion per month is $42,000 requiring insurance companies to raise rates to keep up with pharmaceutical companies). This does not include the $350 a month premiums I pay for just me. I have zero coverage until the entire deductible is met, but for someone who is sick and makes too much to qualify for subsidies but not enough to pay $10K a year on health insurance, ObamaCare has taken away my ability to stay insured any longer. But it gets much worse. Fast forward to 2017, my healthcare costs would be over $10K PER MONTH. The 2017 Plans are even more costly than the previous 2 years due to only one remaining provider left in Arizona (and insurance companies pulling out of the system all over America), while also providing less coverage. This provider only covers 80% of Tier 3 drugs AFTER the full deductible is met, meaning I would have to pay 20% of a $42,000 drug per month. My first infusion in January would require me to pay approximately $18,000 in deductibles, premiums and my share of the medication and about $10K per month thereafter. Of course that is not something most families could afford to do, even wealthier 2-income families ($120K a year for healthcare costs?), so as of December 31,2016 I will be one of the many uninsured middle class Americans that also has to pay a penalty for not being able to afford the insurance. Instead I now will be paying taxes to make sure other people that do qualify for subsidies stay insured while I become sicker due to complications of having an untreated illness and no health insurance. I am not sure who is going to fix this but we are in a very bad place and the corruption of this system will become more evident in 2017 because I am just one of many this is happening to.

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So October the 1st is open enrollment for non- subsidy healthcare plans. I live in FL and a monthly cost for trying to get coverage without a subsidy is $630 a month that’s the lowest plan. Who the hell can afford $630 a month. That is $15,000 a year for my husband and I. That is the equivelent for us buying s new car every year. We are forced to then shop the crap plans in the markey place because we can’t afford it any other way without a subsidy. We pay $388 a month still to much. We have no live a slave to our bills 2 mortgage payments. I have a masters degree and I am forced to live in poverty. While the rich don’t pay taxes. The middle class ppl in this country are the people who pretty much pay for the whole entire country to operate. We have 2 idiot nominees both who which only care about themselves. This country is not a super power we are right next to the 3rd world countries we may not live is a slum but give it time we will get there. People can’t afford to buy s**t in this country not a house not a car can’t go to college work for 8$ wtf can you buy with $8.

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I make under$10 an hour and have not had any Medical bills I have not paid out of pocket. Can I get exempt for my 2016 taxes

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I am a 50 year old female making $10.00 per hour working 20 hours per week. I have high blood pressure and type Ii diabetes. I looked into private health insurance but can’t afford it. I cannot get Medicaid because Nebraska opted out. I thought I would qualify for Obamacare, but I don’t due to income. This makes no sense. I can’t afford my diabetes medication. Obamacare is not for the poor.

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I am a 50 year old female making $10.00 per hour working 20 hours per week. I have high blood pressure and type Ii diabetes. I looked into private health insurance but can’t afford it. I cannot get Medicaid because Nebraska opted out. I thought I would qualify for Obamacare, but I don’t due to income. This makes no sense. I can’t afford my diabetes medication. Obamacare is not for the poor.

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I can easily say our health insurance premiums have tripled (thanks Obama!). They wouldn’t even offer the policy I have carried for years, stating the “Affordable” Care Act didn’t allow the high-deductible plan I used to carry. Despite the lies spewed about it, it does seem you are being penalized for working. With another increase for the upcoming term, it is getting ridiculously high to carry health insurance. Especially for someone who goes to the doctor maybe once a year. It’s not even a affordability issue. Why should all the workers have to pay for insurance for mental health, abortions and such for people who can’t afford it themselves.

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Thanks to MAJI, my special needs daughter is no longer covered. My current husband (her stepdad) makes too much money. Since when is it fair to hold step parents responsible for a step child’s insurance? I have 0 income because I’m a full time student, haven’t received a child support payment in over a year, and now my husband is responsible for her insurance? This is absolutely ridiculous! There is no way I can afford her doctor bills and medications. Yet, her dead beat dad is out there living the life with no responsibilities! Thanks, Obamacare for screwing the middle class!

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I havent had i come or filed tax returns for the padt 3 years, do i still have to pay the fine to the irs? I am being told by people at the healthcare mkt place that i am facing a 695.00$ fine for not having health coverage even tho i havent had any income. Is this true? If i have no income, how can i be fined?

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If you have no or very low income you are not obligated to file taxes. Anyone making under 100% of the federal poverty level is also automatically exempt from the fee for not having insurance, even if they file taxes. You may be eligible for Medicaid depending on the state. If you live in a state that did not expand medicaid, you make under 138% the Federal Poverty Level, and were denied Medicaid (thus you have to first apply for it knowing you’ll be denied) then you can apply for an exemption from owing the fee as well. Read more about the exemption and how to qualify for them here.

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I have been unemployed and gotten free health coverage and food assistance. I now have a job making what is considered a decent salary $52,000, I have 2 boys (9 and 10) and I can’t afford insurance for myself. First they take what I make before taxes a month, REALLY!!! I don’t have that money the gov’t is taking it and they want to say I have it. After my rent I have $300 a week to spend on everything else. It costs about $150 a week in food, that leaves me with $150 a week to pay the phone, car insurance, water, garbage, electric, TV (which I got rid of direct TV to save money and pay internet, Netflix and hulu) and $280 a month for childcare. Now I have to pay $60 a month for the kids insurance and for me forget it!! They want over $300. I really would like some state person coming to my house looking at my bills and paycheck and tell me where in the world an extra $300 is?? There are NO extras. In fact I am lucky I have a couple people in my life that are paying for my children’s clothing and school things and sport fees. I wouldn’t be able to do any of it. I told my sister if I lose this job, I am not caring and getting just any job making a low salary because at least I know we can eat and be healthy. The Gov’t is so unbelievably unrealistic and have absolutely no idea of what it takes to live. I will probably end up with major penalties because I cannot afford to get any insurance for myself and will be without until I can enroll in insurance with the company I am working for. I live paycheck to paycheck and I own 1 credit card with a $300 limit and that’s it. If there is a better option, I certainly haven’t found it!

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I understand that you are frustrated and like many find health insurance is still financially out of reach. I wasn’t able to glean enough from your comment to give you specific advice, but I will do my best to lay out the various options that are available to you. We didn’t write the law, but we are trying to help people understand it.

If you aren’t offered “affordable” insurance through your employer: Based on the Federal Poverty Level, that income level puts a family of three just above the threshold for Cost Reduction SubsidiesPremium Tax Credits which can be used to offset your premium costs throughout the year. If you are a family of four, you would qualify for both types of assistance. It’s also important to note that your income for this assistance is based on MAGI and there are a number of things that reduce MAGI, so your “income” for deciding how much assistance you qualify for might be lower than you realize.

If you are offered employer insurance, but it isn’t “affordable” (see link above), than you can get an exemption and choose to purchase a much less expensive catastrophic coverage.

If you are offered “affordable” employer coverage, than you can still see if you are eligible for an exemption from the fee for not having insurance based on other financial burdens. You wouldn’t be eligible for the marketplace insurance, but you can still seek health insurance from outside the marketplace for your family. Sometimes people find a less expensive plan then their employers even without the cost assistance available on the market place. Unfortunately however, you are not alone. Lots of families are falling through the cracks because of The Family Affordability Glitch. While Obamacare has some provisions that have been very successful, this part left many, many working families without access to insurance they can afford. Best of luck and I hope that this information helps.

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So let me ask you this…. I’m a 29 year old married mother of two boys (1&7), my oldest has autism and ADHD. My husband works full time ($25,000 a year) and I had to leave my job because my oldest son was “let go” from the before and after school programs. So a family of 4 living on $25k a year. Both of my boys receive Medicare, which doesn’t even cover the therapy my oldest needs. BUT my husband and I do not qualify for Medicare and in no way can afford paying the $240+ a month in premiums AND a HUGE deductable from the marketplace. We live in Florida where the expansion was denied by our greedy govener, so there aren’t any government assisted programs available to us.
Then to make things even worse, there is an awesome law that keeps a mother from moving her child 50 miles from the other parent in Florida statues. My oldest is from a previous relationship. Well we could move to Colorado and receive free insurance for the entire family and the therapy my oldest needs, I could use my degree and work again, BUT NO we are trapped in a 50 mile radius in the middle of Florida, with no help and a $10,000 lawyer bill which is still going because we can’t even get seen by a judge (it’s been 6 months)!!!!!
So please tell me what options I have to receive health insurance, because it pretty much looks like I’m being told to just deal with it. Ps I definitely need neck surgery from a car accident. Nope that’s not even getting the treatment it needs.
Andrea

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Medicaid just dropped me because my daughter turned 18. I had a liver transplant in 2012 and have some very expensive medications. I only make $2200 a month and my 23 year old Autistic son, my pregnant 18 year old daughter and her fiance live with me. They don’t work but my kids get SSI from their Dad’s death, $691/mo each. How am I supposed to get health insurance when my meds cost almost as much as I make? I also am diagnosed with depression but most plans do not cover mental health or my meds. Its very overwhelming and just didn’t make sense to me.

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I am with everyone else on here. I make 70,000 per year. i have a family of 4. we pay 600 a month for bronze coverage. our deductible is 6850 per person up to 13,700. so before my insurance covers anything, i have to pay almost 21,000 out of pocket. that is more than half of what i bring home. l would like to ask Obama who the healthcare is affordable to? i guess they really want everyone to get divorces, live together, have wife and kids get medicaid, while still living in the same place.

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“fred on August 1, 2016

its a joke ur better off without job
thaen u get everything free

ObamaCareFacts.com on August 1, 2016
That really isn’t true, I know it feels like that sometimes… but America is built on hard work, don’t worry about what the Jone’s are doing aside when it comes discussing on how to create smart policy.”

So your answer to people not being able to afford health insurance is that we are not working hard enough and we need to be more intelligent?
I have a degree, make way more than minimum wage, and work over 60 hours a week and I’m here today because my health insurance for an adult and 3 children is higher than my house payment. Further, we only go for check ups, nothing special here. I would save over 6 grand a year paying this out of pocket. We have an HIM, again nothing special. On top of the monthly payment I’m still required to pay to see a doctor. From my point of working hard doesn’t seem so smart when I would be breaking even flipping burgers or getting knocked up by 5 baby daddies and living off uncle Sam. How dare you infer that people aren’t “smart” or “working hard” you brain washed piece of shit.

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I’m not trying to be difficult but I would really like to know what was so bad with the system as it was where if I couldn’t afford health insurance I didn’t get it and found other ways to pay for healthcare. With that system I wasn’t penalized if I couldn’t afford it. Now I get penalized and have even less to pay for needed healthcare.

This is like making it mandatory that you have a car and penalize you if you don’t. It’s also like taxing you more for a house that looks nicer which means people will opt to not fix up their house.

Please help me understand how a $300 to $800 monthly premium with a $6000 to $7000 deductible is affordable and again what was wrong with the old system?

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I’m beginning to really feel a struggle. I make 37k/yr and my husband is no longer employed because he is in severe pain. He hasn’t worked in 10 months. I think he has Fibromyalgia, but Dr’s say it is depression. Husband won’t take antidepressants. Dr says if he isn’t taking them then he isn’t hurting enough. I don’t know how depression would cause all this pain. Bloodwork says ANA’s are high, IMO it’s more than depression.

I have a Humana Silver plan. I’m paying $328/mo total for both of us, which was an adjustment for us, but I made it work. I don’t have TV anymore and we grow a lot of our own food.

The problem is now the medical bills are crippling us.

I’m still paying medical bills from last year. I was hospitalized last year – I had severe abdominal pain for five days. I went to the doctor three of those days. The doctors kept giving me medication for indigestion (Bentyl, Nexium, and pepsid or something of that nature…) and told me it takes time to work. I was in a ball on the floor crying and couldn’t move by the fifth day.

My husband put me into his van and drove me to the closest emergency room. I had never been admitted to a hospital before, this was my first time. They put me on iv morphine and I was finally able to sleep for the first time in 3 nights. I had a urinary tract infection coupled w/ an ovarian cyst.

To top it off, the ER I went to apparently was not in network for an entire month while the insurance company and hospital were working something out. That happened to be the one time I needed to go to the ER. I never got a letter, notice, nothing. I had a magnet from my insurance company that lists this ER as my hospital! I threw it away after that…

Well anyway, I’m paying a lot of money each month for this mistake… I now call my health insurance company before I go to any DR to make sure they are in network. Turns out they have a “72 hour” list. So once you check, you have 72 hours to visit that DR or they might go out of network on you.

Last month I got a lump on my neck. My coworkers urge me to get it checked out. It goes like this:
Me: I have a swollen lymphnode in my neck.
Dr: Let’s order an ultrasound
Ultrasound reveals its a swollen lymphnode.
Dr: You have a swollen lymphnode. Let’s refer you to hematology.
Hematology reveals: you have an infection
Dr: Let’s do a biopsy to see what it is
Me: Isn’t it a swollen lymphnode? Like you’ve actually told me nothing at all…
…then it disappeared a week later.

I don’t understand, why even go to the doctor? I feel like I am paying a lot of money for poor service… but the bigger problem is, I have to suck it up and take it, where normally a business would be put out. I am stuck. My husband is hurting, but doctors don’t care, they just want money. The bills are getting bigger. If I could get just a few months relief from my health insurance bill I could get a lot of the medical debt paid off, but instead I’m constantly slipping behind as more bills rack up.

When I was referred to get bloodwork done I called my insurance company. They say blood tests are free for the first test in a year (which it is my first blood test, ever, actually). The bloodwork wasn’t free. It was $400+.

My health care costs (incl insurance) this month are $900… but most of it isn’t even recognized (by recognized I mean go towards any kind of deductible) because it’s an old medical bill. So next year, when I have more medical bills and Obamacare increases again, I’m not really sure what I’m going to do.

I would like to go to the dentist. I have a cracked tooth. It is only a bother for getting food stuck in it causing me to be constantly flossing, but I feel it should be addressed. I have separate dental insurance which is very affordable ($9/mo), but I can’t commit myself to any procedures because I’m already in debt w/ doctors.

I need glasses. When I drive the signs are blurry…but I need to keep swimming. I need to stay on top of all the bills, don’t I?

What happens if I don’t pay my medical bills?
What do I do? Is there any relief?

I turn 30 this year. Does it work like car insurance or something and go down after a certain age?

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I remember when we had freedom, freedom of choice. Now I can be fined because I CANNOT afford any insurance, I’m already living below the poverty level….can’t get much lower.

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In this case you likely qualify for free coverage through Medicaid and/or an exemption from the fee. You may live in a state who rejected Medicaid expansion. You may ask, “why would a state do this”? The answer is of course, “so people would react negatively to the ACA, plus it saves money”.

I think we can all agree “saves money” is a good thing, but as to the other point… I personally don’t like being toyed with, I don’t imagine you do either. We need real reform, that only happens when we figure out common ground one which we can stand together en masse.

This is how it works in healthcare: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/04/16/states-embracing-obamacare-are-doing-a-better-job-of-covering-the-uninsured-surveys-show/

This is how it works with poor black regions of the US: http://inthesetimes.com/article/19442/the-gop-wants-to-blame-black-misery-on-democratic-mayors.-why-thats-wrong

Here is the concept as a political tactic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starve_the_beast, http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/cato-journal/2006/11/cj26n3-8.pdf.

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This is a joke. I worked for two years in a place where I was being harassed by a manager and eventually had to quit because of severe anxiety and depression from the job. I was set to make about $50,000 and my husband makes about $50,000. Once I lost my job my income went to $0 but because I had already made $38,000 for the year and my husband (on a commission job) is projected to make $50,000 we got denied assistance and our lowest cost option is $650 per month.

Our bills come to $4000 per month WITHOUT food thanks to crazy student loans. That’s just rent, bills and my loans. No credit card debt or anything. So now I have no job, zero income, no insurance AND the state says I’m on my own. YOU do the math NYS.

He makes $50,000 per year.
Our bills come to $4000 per month = $4800 per year.
That’s $2000 to cover food and health insurance for A YEAR.

I know the state could care less what I pay for loans and rent but realistically, it’s the middle class that gets screwed over every day. I have to live without health insurance now while the guy next door is INTENTIONALLY unemployed to get everything paid for and guess what, he’s wearing NIKEs. This country has gone to hell.

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That is the problem with 1. basing assistance on MAGI (not net income after expenses like child care and student loans) and 2. states rejecting Medicaid expansion (as some people in that situation would end up qualifying for Medicaid when they lose income for that year).

I agree that what happened to you feels not fair, especially knowing you’ll owe the fee for those months… however, pointing at your neighbor’s shoes doesn’t do much to show the ways in which you are wronged. Intentionally not working and collecting welfare for the grand outcome of a pair of shoes isn’t much to be proud of, holding down a $50,000 a year job is. The unfair part is how losing your job affected your health insurance and taxes, not what shoes the Jone’s are wearing.

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Recently lost my job and my work based insurance for my family.
I payed close to $600 a month for coverage with the company assistance with a full time job. Now that I am unemployed I am being told that due to what I already made and what my wife makes we are not eligible for any discount or assistance. When i worked I paid for insurance I didn’t just pocket the $$$. Now that I don’t have an income coming in I am penalized a second time for losing a good paying job. I don’t get it. How do they expect I still pay close to $600/month for insurance when I don’t have an income coming in? Basing the math on total annual and not what is currently coming in is a backwards formula. If I had lost it earlier in the year or not worked at all this year then we would be good, but since I made too much so far this year with my wife’s income it doesn’t matter that there is no income coming in, the formula says I should be able to pay $600/month because of what I was making.
No income = no money for full premiums. What I made in the first 6mnth of the year (and was paying out for insurance sat that time as well) means nothing now that I am brining in nothing. We were initially quoted at approx 50% off premium that we were figuring a way to handle (not sure how). We live in CA with CA rent prices, have a 4yr old who I cannot dream of having uncovered, and to pay rent, child care, car insurance, and God forbid feed him, I am being penalized because I had a good job once upon a time. My wife’s income would cover rent and half of child care for the month. I am hoping unemployment kicks in but even there that isn’t much and yes I hope I can get a job ASAP for at least more than unemployment pays (lofty goals).
Her employer offers insurance through Kaiser but doesn’t contribute so we would still pay 100% for a worse plan than the plan we found on the market place.
I am lost as to what this system was suppose to do. It doesn’t help those who actually work and fall on hard times, per their own words, it would be better if my wife quit her job before we reach the threshold and get on all government programs for support.
If I would have been unemployed sooner in the year (longer without a job) then it helps. The longer someone stays unemployed the more they will help and give.
For those who need help for short term and have done everything they can to support themselves without assistance, it is not there when needed.

I paid taxes into this but it was not there when I needed it.

My wife and I have ongoing medical issues, nothing major but continued treatment none the less, and cannot afford to take care of our health.

I thought the point was for help when help was needed, instead they line it out to help those who do less to help themselves, and help those who either come on long hard times or know the system will only help if you stay dependent on the system.

I have heard that the system is broken and it penalizes those who try to get themselves out of it, and I’m now discovering firsthand that this is true.

Any type of assistance, if you try to save money you will lose benefits, if you had a good job then you paid a fair amount of taxes into the system, and those are the ones who cannot benefit from the system for the short term when needed.

It is a trapped system that won’t let people get themselves out.

If you are on UI and or food stamps don’t try and save money in a bank. They will cut your benefits.
If you paid a fare amount of taxes to help an insurance program for those who need help, you cannot get the help when needed even though you helped keep it afloat.

Either stay down and out and get little help or suffer long term with no known end in sight of you ever hope to get out of the cycle. If you don’t go homeless first.

Sorry for the rant. This is just a very eye opening and very disappointing realization today. And I don’t blame Oboma Care itself as there was no better plan in place before it, but it failed to fix a lot of big issues with everything that was promised. It going away won’t help, without a better plan to take its place. Don’t yell for abolishment of the system, yell for a fix or better plan that actually helps those in need across the board and allows people to help themselves along the way. Don’t punish those who have always been or want to become self sufficient, make these programs that help people help themselves, not punish people with goals and plans and force them to hold themselves back or lose everything.

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I’m a single mother who makes “too much” before taxes to qualify for discounted insurance but too little to afford gold, bronze or silver plans. I was quoted $516 per month on myself (30) and my son who is two.

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Me and my two boys had health insurance Medicaid. I got married now his income counts. Got insurance through my work costing me $53 every two weeks but I can’t use it until I meet a $6,000 deductible also looked into the health insurance Marketplace they want $697 a month for me and my family everything is just ridiculously unreasonable it’s true you’d be better off if you were without a job and homeless you get better coverage

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This is a Capitalist nation, so how dare the government tell me I have to buy a product in a free society. I am a veteran what I buy is my business and the government can have fun trying to enforce fines when I send them back with a letter that says professionally how I feel. If America is going to shove healthcare in our faces then America needs to do it like Norway, Canada, Germany, etc are doing it. Pay for our healthcare and raise taxes to compensate for it. It would financially be cheaper. If it wasn’t then other countries like the ones I named wouldn’t be doing it. Everyone there is super happy, so it’s proven it works. The government is too big and needs to back off.

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Emergency room visit yesterday. Priority Health copayment $250.00. Wanted to go back today because symptoms did not improve. Called and told another $250.00 copayment will be required. Don’t have money. No visit made. Need medical help with no options. What can I do!

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The best is always to contact the insurer and hospital to get advice. There is no perfect solution to having coverage, needing care, and not being able to afford the copay / coinsurance.

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21 year old male who can barely afford his bills as it is

So tell me again, why is it that I can’t afford healthcare when I’m getting $100-$200 taken out of every paycheck in taxes? Is it because, dare I say it, our tax dollars aren’t being distributed effectively…..?

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I am a divorced, single mother, 55 years old. I do not receive child support anymore, because my daughter is 18. I am employed full-time, but am looking for a second and possibly third job in order to pay my rent and bills. i was penalized $400 on my 2015 taxes because I could not afford health care, even under Obamacare. This year, I did sign up for an Obamacare plan but had to drop that in 2 months, because I could not afford it, no matter how much I tried to cut bills. This year, I will be fined $700, because I can not afford health care. What kind of a country do we live in?

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Obamacare is designed to destroy the middle class.Even folks making decent salaries cannot afford health care-just paying rent/mortgages/food/outrageous taxes/utilities/basic needs-are burying them in debt/foreclosures and despair.Seems those that never paid a dime in taxes or a penny into the Social Security system get more than those who worked their knuckles to the bone.With the amount of taxes we are all paying why do we have to pay for health care to begin with??Why are we being fined for not being able to pay for it??Now it is a crime if you can’t keep your head above water!!”Affordable”health care does not exist!

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I was laid off and used my 401k to pay for my house but now obamacare is using that money as my income for the year and the insurance is 700 a month but I don’t have that money as income.
How can I get around this

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I am losing my healthcare insurance from DHS. I was getting the exact same pay as I am now from my previous job when I enrolled…I got covered. But now they say I my income is over the limit with my new job…same pay! By the time I pay the bills, pay my car payments (old car died) and car insurance…pay my daughter’s school and if I have anything left over…food. How can they go off of gross income when I get maybe a bit more than half of my take-home pay and still supposed to have monthly payments for insurance? It’s impossible!! What are we to do?

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My wife is employed now which is great for us but now she has insurance and we can’t afford to put me on her plan due to the cost. I’m self employed and no longer qualify for a subsidy due to the fact that I COULD be on her insurance. Kinda stuck here. Need some help from somewhere!

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My plan is 7000 deductible for myself and only pays 60 % after the deductible is met and I get a tax penalty because the plan claims it is giving me a 500 subsidy per month This has no benefit to me at all. The plan is terrible terrible sarcastic customer service Can explain how this is fair when Medicaid for which I do not qualify is so much better and it is same provider in Ohio Caresource

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I am a stay at home father, due to the cost of after school child care, and my wife doesn’t earn enough to cover our bills AND health insurance. We live in NC, and our State does not have the medicaid option. What are we supposed to do for health insurance?
I have a few skin cancer spots that need treatment as well as some painful dental things that need attending, but we fall into that giant gaping catch-22 that leaves so many people ailing, but with no options. The cheapest insurance option I could find was $50 too high, and even if I could afford it, I wouldn’t be able to afford the copay.

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8-25-16
Open letter to all of those Senators, Congress people and US Supreme Court Judges who voted for Loser-Care
This is an update from a previous communication sent back in 2013 regarding health care insurance. Anything less than a full repeal, not replacement would be a catastrophe.
Much to our surprise, we found out according to dear leader’s wisdom that we won life’s personal income lottery. My wife and I along with our home based micro business, make slightly more than $24.30 adjusted gross income hourly rate each. This puts us outside of the Loser-care web based subsidized insurance plans. Now we are forced into purchasing health care insurance that you have made unaffordable on the open market. We have two kids in college are approaching retirement age and now you are responsible for putting my family at the financial risk of personal bankruptcy. No golfing, no vacations no disposable income goes without saying. Plus; we lost our doctors, old affordable health insurance plan and have to pay a massive increase in health insurance costs. All promises made and broken by Loser in Chief.
All of the US senators, Loser in Chief, congress and US Supreme Court Judges voted to exempt themselves, family and staff from this disastrous joke of a health care plan. I am confident that none of you are aware of the costs for Loser-care so I will update you with the current costs of health insurance premiums, deductibles and co-insurance. The quotes we have been receiving from the open market insurance companies that are forced to comply with Loser-care coverage requirements for a family of 4 all heathy with no pre-existing conditions, are between $1,400.00 and $2,600.00 per month, $6,000.00 to $7,000.00 per person annual deductibles with a family cap of $13,500.00 some plans have even higher deductible limits. Co-pay of $40.00 per visit and after all the deductibles are met we are still on the hook for 30% of any additional health care costs. We are forced to carry maternity and pediatric dental care, two features that are impossible for us to use. All of this paid out in just 12 months. We have made every effort over our lifetime to eat healthy, exercise and to not indulge in risky behavior, no reward for those disciplines now as our insurance premium rates are based on income rather than living a healthy, disciplined lifestyle. Just because you can afford to buy something does not mean you should buy it if it is a horrible value and bad deal.
So you are demanding by force of law for my family to pay between: $16,800.00 to $31,200.00 in premiums plus $6,000.00 to $13,500.00 in deductibles. Where are we supposed to get this money from? Even though you have classified us as rich we do not have this kind of money and will be forced to make some very difficult choices. We should be saving money for retirement, paying off our home mortgage and helping our children with their college costs but now all of those financial goals have been destroyed by you and Loser-care. Not to mention we still need to pay out of pocket for eye exams, dental work, chiropractic, skin checks and other medical services not covered under Loser-care. No money to spend on home improvements or replacing our high mileage ancient cars, we will not be stimulating the economy or making charitable contributions at all in 2016 or 2017 thanks to the likes of you.
Our choices that face us now are to go without insurance or pay as we go and hope we do not get seriously sick or hurt. Of course we have to pay the $695.00 per adult or $347.50 per child, or more depending on our hard work and annual income. At minimum $2,085.00 penalty for not having signed up for Loser-care. Another choice is to just insure the kids and my wife and I pay the Loser-care penalty, or some other combination of non-coverage. In the spirit of Mrs. Loser-care, this is the first time in my adult life that I cannot afford health care insurance for my family.
Half of the Loser-care health Co-Ops will be closed by the end of this year. What does that say about this flawed big government program?
Your collective elbows must be sore as you continue to be one of Loser in Chief’s minions, rubber stamping everything that dear ruler puts in front of you.
I will surely do everything possible to vote all of you out of office.
The amount of time that my family has been spending on what to do about our medical insurance coverage is a disgrace. It is similar to having a second job. What are you going to do about that? The loss of productivity across this country has to be phenomenal; no one even talks about all of the lost man power and productivity due to a dysfunctional website, confusion, bogus policy pricing, coverage no one wants and grotesque subsides. The fact that insurance premiums need to be subsidized; means there is an inherent flaw and broken plan from the start. Where is this subsidy money supposed to come from; rich tax payers like me and over 10 other new taxes placed on the middle class?
Loser in Chief is a failed president, failed insurance salesman, failed on the economy and taxes, failed on foreign policy, failed on domestic policy, but I will admit that he has been a very successful gun salesman and dividing our country into opposing groups. For the first time in my adult life I am not proud of my country (sound familiar?). I am disgusted with senators, congress and justices who vote and support the current Loser in Chie