Posted on 11/21/2014 10:57:54 PM PST by grundle
One little-known feature of the Affordable Care Act is the availability of special health plans with low deductibles and copays to consumers whose incomes are low, but not low enough to be enrolled in Medicaid. (For 2015 that's up to $29,175 for a single person, $39,325 for a couple, and $59,624 for a family of four. Details here.)
Unfortunately, many people eligible to buy these plans may never realize it because of the way HealthCare.gov, the site that sells health insurance to individuals in 38 states, displays plan results. Instead, they may end up with plans that, although their premiums are slightly lower, have extremely high deductibles that could put health care out of reach financially.
The plans they’re missing are special versions of the mid-priced Silver plans, the most popular of the four “metal tiers”—Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum—sold on the state Health Insurance Marketplaces.
Whereas regular Silver plans cover about 70 percent of the average person’s health care costs, the special Silver plans cover 73, 87, or 94 percent, depending on the person’s income. That translates into much lower deductibles, copays and coinsurance. The Silver 87 plan is more generous than a regular Gold plan, and the Silver 94 plan is more generous than a Platinum plan. But the customer doesn't pay a higher premium for these plans than for the standard version of the plan. In other words, they’re a fantastic deal.
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
The low-cost options are hidden because Barry and Jon Gruber designed the plan so that middle-class people are soaked for as much money as possible. Barry and Jon decided that the middle-class are stupid bourgeois tools of the evil capitalists who deserve to have their money redistributed to the working class.
This is just a transition phase.
In ten years the menu will be shortened to just one plan: universal coverage by the British U.S. National Health Service.
bump for later
The $103 special Silver Plan monthly premium sounds steep, right? But if you’re 144% or higher of the poverty level, you can get federal subsidies to cover the cost.
And with only a $500 deductible, you’ll already be covered by more than a bare-bones insurance plan.
It pays to shop around for a special Silver plan if you can afford it. If that’s too expensive, your state Medicaid plan is the best deal for health coverage.
Its not available through my state exchange.
I’m covered by state Medicaid which has no enrollment period.
Sometimes the good deals are just not available.
Which kinda sucks when you look for a good health plan that covers you up front BEFORE you have to pay a deductible.
Yes. So they’ll have more money for the Medicaid cases they will assign in addition to the near-full subsidy ones.
I can’t wait until the government fixes the internet with its so called “net neutrality”. I’m sure they’ll do as good a job as they did with AbominableCare, er Obamacare.
Sounds good on paper. However, a 40 year old making $20K probably doesn't have a lot of cash sitting around. If they are healthy, I would think many would be tempted for the extra $66 a month by going with a bronze plan.
Buried, “special” laws and government policies were never intended for broad consumption. They were put there for special interest groups.
People flocking to Michigan because of Low Cost Plans? ( if the private sector tries his HSA-Concierge Model, perhaps)..
Go here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3228605/posts
Why even discuss what Obamacare is hiding? We should be discussing how this AND the whole scheme should be eliminated!
It seems that the insurance companies have to eat the extra benefits of low deductibles and co pays. Plans like CAs Silver 97 a are super Cadillac benefits at the same premium as a Silver 70 plan.
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