General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe remaining uninsured really can't afford it
The health care law's historic gains in coverage may be leveling off: The Obama administration announced Thursday it expects only a slight overall increase in enrollment next year.
(Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell) said it's getting harder to sign up the remaining uninsured. They tend to be young, managing very tight household budgets, and often unaware they can qualify for taxpayer-financed assistance with their premiums.
Some people who sign up for a plan don't follow through and pay their first month's premiums. Others drop out because they can't afford even their subsidized premiums.
A new research paper from the administration finds that nearly 60 percent of the uninsured were not aware or did not understand that subsidies are available to help with their premiums. Half had difficulty affording basic necessities. And many have other financial priorities - such as paying down debt or making car repairs - before buying health insurance.
Getting and keeping coverage under Obama's law can be frustrating, especially when it comes to documenting eligibility for benefits. Insurance counselors say they are seeing many people whose subsidies were completely eliminated because of income reporting problems.
http://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/118606/OE3%20QHP-Eligible%20Uninsured_FINAL_v42%20clean.pdf
Comment by Don McCanne of PNHP: Out of a population of about 322 million, 32 million US residents remain uninsured. Because of the complex eligibility requirements for various insurance programs under the Affordable Care Act, there are many reasons that so many remain uninsured. Regardless, this latest data from HHS shows that the success in reducing the numbers who are uninsured is leveling off, and one of the most important reasons is that the Affordable Care Act did not make health insurance affordable for far too many of us.
Four-fifths of the uninsured have less than $1,000 in savings. Half have difficulty affording food or housing. Even if they had more money, many would feel obligated to use it to pay down debt, or to repair their homes, or to repair their automobiles that provide them transportation for employment. They still wouldnt have enough left to purchase health insurance.
Yet when these people turn 65, they can afford Medicare. The program is automatically funded, primarily through the tax system.
If we improved Medicare, funded it completely through progressive taxes, and then provided it to everyone, not only would it be affordable for all of us, none of us would ever have to make a decision on whether our health care dollars needed to be used for food, housing or any other essentials. Medicare would automatically always be there for all of us.
Comment by me: Not all who are 65 can afford Medicare either. But they are able to supplement it with Medicaid--the so called dual eligibles. Why have all those systems separate?
KG
(28,751 posts)freedom fighter jh
(1,782 posts)as Thom Hartmann likes to say.
Besides the premiums, some have trouble with deductibles and co-pays. It must be a slap in the face to scrape up all your money to keep yourself insured and then find you can't afford to use the insurance.
1monster
(11,012 posts)covers doctors I've never heard of and don't know where to find.
freedom fighter jh
(1,782 posts)That's not good.
Omaha Steve
(99,488 posts)K&R!
OS
bread_and_roses
(6,335 posts)Probably the "Gold" people and even the "Silver" people too. So who cares about the "Bronze" people anyway?
And most important, the Vampire insurers are OK. So mission accomplished.
Hydra
(14,459 posts)That there were gaps where people would fall through in various income levels, but there was a huge hole at the bottom before eligibility for expanded medicaid(which my state doesn't have and was never required to under the ACA). The answer I got most commonly? "It helps me and mine, shut up about the rest!"
bread_and_roses
(6,335 posts)I am still so furious over our so-called "progressive" orgs and people getting in line behind the ACA - I've never gotten over it. It is one of the best example I can think of to prove Chris Hedges point about the complicity of "liberals" in the systematic ascension of the power of the corporations.
ohheckyeah
(9,314 posts)plans and the deductibles are still too high and out of pocket limits are even worse. I can't really afford the silver so anything higher is out of the question.
marble falls
(56,996 posts)Scuba
(53,475 posts)And yes, we can afford it.
nilesobek
(1,423 posts)get or afford any kind of insurance. Right now, my youngest son has a severe tooth infection. His fiance, who is nine months pregnant, has an acute intense, skin infection right on her belly. Despite us both working our asses off, two or three jobs at a time, we still cannot afford health insurance. Hell...we are one paycheck from the homeless camp at all times. This is our "great" america.Half of all the people make a poverty wage nowadays. No wonder they need a gulag prison system here.
bread_and_roses
(6,335 posts)It should not happen to anyone, anywhere. I have a brother in something of the same boat .... there are millions, millions, and millions more just a paycheck away from the same. It is appalling.
ljm2002
(10,751 posts)...they can lead to even worse things.
If you are desperate and have no other recourse, one thing to do is go to the pet store and purchase tetracycline sold to use in fish tanks. Then go online and read what dosage to use for a person. I've done it before and it worked very well.
I did hesitate to post this, because people sometimes react badly to the idea of using something intended for animals not people. But then I thought it might help.
Hope things get better for all in your family, in short order!
ladyVet
(1,587 posts)We get amoxicillin online. Not the best idea to self-medicate, but when you have no other choice, then you do it. Infections untreated can do far worse damage.
The pregnant girlfriend should qualify for medicaid. In NC she would, as she's of childbearing age and pregnant (they'll cover breeding folks).
nilesobek
(1,423 posts)His epilepsy medicine was raised from four dollars to a hundred a month. No explanation for that. The baby is coming breech so I'm worried about the outcome of my unborn granddaughter. If you were match us up with Appalachian stereotypes we would fit into nearly every one. Thanks for the tips and concern.
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)More than we can afford without being hyper-taxed beyond Europe or Scandanavian levels.
I mean, never mind that war and corporate welfare have eternal blank checks.
No, we'd better just stick with the sensibly sensible plan of distributing a human right on the basis of how gainfully one is employed or monied, and then select who is deemed worthy (as in "not intefering with profit" enough to receive that human right.
Hydra
(14,459 posts)If all the money spent on this issue was correctly tabulated...I think I a lot of people would think differently about how "doable" single payer is.
KG
(28,751 posts)HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)You'd almost have to be one to scroll through 100 posts justifying Exclusiversal WealthCare.
eridani
(51,907 posts)--we just aren't getting it" Since we are already spending it, it just needs to be diverted to actual health care in order to cover everyone.
edhopper
(33,467 posts)about 8 of those 32 million are their because of the States that refuse to expand Medicaid.
nc4bo
(17,651 posts)Review the table below for the results of your application. Daughter - Based on the information provided,
you would be eligible for free or low cost health care through Medicaid. However, the state of NC has chosen
not to offer you this health coverage at this time.
You won't owe a fee for not having health coverage. This is because of your income, and because the state of
NC declined to expand Medicaid to cover individuals in your situation. When you file your tax return, you'll
need to enter the Exemption Certification Number (ECN) shown in the "Results" column below.
##################
Family member(s) Results Next steps
Daughter Eligible for an exemption for 2016. Save this
notice for your records. If you file a federal
income tax return for 2016, you'll need to
provide this exemption certificate number
(ECN) on your return: #######. It's
important that you provide this number when
you file your tax return so the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) knows you're eligible for the
exemption.
Eligible to purchase health coverage through
the Marketplace, including catastrophic plans
Choose a health plan and make first month's
payment
If your Eligibility Results say that you're eligible for a premium tax credit or cost sharing reductions, it means
that you don't appear to be eligible for Medicaid based on your household income and family size, or your
immigration status. However, you could be eligible for Medicaid if you have a disability or special health care
needs. To learn more, see "5. Getting help with the cost of special health care needs" in "Understanding Your
Eligibility Results" included with this notice.
Why don't I qualify for other programs?
daughter Your household's yearly income is too low for a tax credit. Generally, individuals and
families whose household income for the year is between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal
poverty line for their family size may be eligible for the tax credit.
daughter You don't qualify for Medicaid or CHIP because your state didn't expand benefits for
individuals in your situation.
---------
My best reponse was that elections matter, all of them.
Maybe just maybe if we didn't have a corporate teabagger as a Governor, opening up Medcaid wouldn't seem like such a unicorn.
I also don't see the big deal why she couldn't enroll in her bf's insurance. No they're not married but they are in a stable relationship.
I wonder how many others live in similar relationships or household relationships where groups of people can create their own "pool"? Plenty I bet.
Lodestar
(2,388 posts)are not eligible for Obamacare. It's a large group that falls through the cracks of this program.
And yet they are REQUIRED to pay for some form of insurance which is at the normal rates.
Seems unfair.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)eridani
(51,907 posts)B Calm
(28,762 posts)eridani
(51,907 posts)Incomes slightly higher than abject poverty don't allow you to shop the exchanges.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)eridani
(51,907 posts)Shopping the exchanges is a very complicated and messy process.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)are places that you can go for no charge where you can get help.
eridani
(51,907 posts)B Calm
(28,762 posts)eridani
(51,907 posts)Getting and keeping coverage under Obama's law can be frustrating, especially when it comes to documenting eligibility for benefits. Insurance counselors say they are seeing many people whose subsidies were completely eliminated because of income reporting problems.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)eridani
(51,907 posts)Why do you think help is necessarily easy to access in any state? What if you are living off of a bunch of constantly changing part time jobs?