Do the health exchanges have help for folks who become unemployed?

[Matariki]

Or is the assistance based on the previous year's income? If so, that might disqualify folks from getting help who suddenly find themselves in dire financial straits.

My personal experience is that unemployment benefits *just* cover my mortgage and I quickly drain my savings for everything else. COBRA is an unaffordable joke. In the past I have gotten inexpensive temporary insurance, which is actually not bad in terms of coverage and cost but you can only stay on it for 6 months.

I'm wondering if policies like that will still be available, or if there will be assistance that goes with unemployment insurance.

[NYC_SKP]

1. I don't know but a lot of people are in similar situations.

In this case, I think using the telephone connection would be the best way to find out.

I hope rates aren't just based on the most recent tax returns, that would suck for anyone who lost a job.

Good luck!

[Matariki]

2. And dammit, why can we have single payer health care?

I for one would happily pay more taxes for it knowing there's a safety net for those who need it.

[Xipe Totec]

3. Absolutely. This thing about employer provided health care is ridiculous and cruel

Since the first thing that happens when you get seriously ill is that they let you go from work and you lose your coverage.

You get guaranteed health coverage right up until the day you need it, then you're fucked six ways from Sunday.

[Yo_Mama]

4. It goes month by month

so indeed if you lose your job and have vastly reduced income, you can get more of a subsidy to compensate.

[Matariki]

6. I didn't know that.

That's actually great. Where can I find that info? On my state's Exchange website they asked for annual income, which is what led me to ask this question in the first place.

[pnwmom]

7. I think you should call the phone number on the website

or else try to find an "assister" or "navigator" in your area to talk to -- both are people who have been trained to help people get insurance through the exchange.

[Yo_Mama]

11. Once you sign up you are expected to report changes in income as they occur

The law calculates the subsidy month by month, not by year. They are asking you to estimate next year's annual income, but if anything changes for good or for bad, you are supposed to report that.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-10-09/health/os-obamacare-navigator-answers-questions-2-20131009_1_health-insurance-marketplace-health-insurance-affordable-care-act

It's unclear how timely the updates will in practice be, but qualifying life events are supposed to invoke a "special enrollment period", and significant changes in income are supposed to be qualifying life events:
https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/qualifying-life-event/

https://www.ehealthinsurance.com/affordable-care-act/news/obamacare-countdown-step-5-2

The regs governing special enrollment periods are here:
http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=294ad4733bb86a092adb8c82ace8f2d1&ty=HTML&h=L&r=PART&n=45y1.0.1.2.70#45:1.0.1.2.70.5.27.5

However if you have COBRA and you fail to make the payment, thus losing coverage it does not qualify. But eligible for employer insurance means that it can be no more than 9.5% of your income, so most people who lose a job will become newly eligible for exchange subsidies. The reg covering that is here:
http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=294ad4733bb86a092adb8c82ace8f2d1&node=26:1.0.1.1.1.0.5.53&rgn=div8

So basically if you were covered by an employer plan and you lose employment, unless your COBRA payment will be equal to or less than 9.5% of your household income, you can apply on the exchange.

[Matariki]

13. Thanks very much for all that info!

[Matariki]

8. This is what I found

Here: http://www.abta.org/care-treatment/support-resources/the-affordable-care-act.html#ques26

I cannot afford the COBRA coverage offered by my employer and I do not qualify for Medicaid. What can I do for coverage before I am eligible for Medicare?

Each state that maintains its own exchange will establish guidelines for qualifying for subsidize plans offered through the exchange. For federal exchanges, the federal government will determine qualifying for subsidies. You will need to check with the exchange offered in your state to determine your eligibility for subsidies.

So I guess that means that if a state has an exchange, as mine does, the rules might differ.

Confusing. I want single payer.

[Yo_Mama]

12. No, they can't differ that much

I linked to the regs above which are federal and thus govern all exchanges.

You do have to apply and the exchange is allowed to verify, and the exchange has options for verification. But the exchange does not have the option to just decide that your other options are affordable if they are not affordable under the Code of Federal Regulations.

One CFR to rule us all!

[Enrique]

5. the expanded medicaid should help many unemployed people

but im sure we will be hearing a lot about people falling through the cracks.

[pnwmom]

9. It is almost 2014, so if you can wait till January,

you can do your taxes for 2013 and have your ACA premium based on your new lower income.

But I think I read somewhere that if you experience a loss of income, you can get get your premium changed. So it's probably best to talk to a human being on the phone about your situation.

[gerogie1]

10. You have to enroll in ACA at the begining of the year

There is only a certain window in which a person can enroll in the ACA. Once that date is past a person who is laid off from work can either buy a policy in the free market or go to a COBRA plan.