Though I make more, my actual taxable income is below the poverty limit.
I was sent to Medicaid where I learned that I do not qualify, though I would have if Sean Parnell had accepted the ACA Medicaid expansion. But he's an asshole so he didn't.
I could simply buy insurance the old fashioned way, except that I really cannot swing the $700.00 to $900.00 payments I would have to pony up without the help of Obamacare. Not to mention the rather sizable deductibles these plans have.
So essentially I am screwed unless Parnell has a change of heart (Fat chance!) or Americans get fed up and demand the single payer option.
Or I could continue eating right, getting lots of exercise, and hoping for the best until 65 when Medicare kicks in. I was already doing those things of course, but I really had my heart set on getting insurance for the first time in my life.
On the plus side apparently I can file for the hardship clause on my tax returns and won't have to pay a penalty. Yay, me.
Damn, do I hate Republicans!
Any chance of marriage? I'm sure there are loads of nice women with health insurance who would be thrilled to marry you. You must be a hoot to live with! I would offer, but I don't think you go for white hair.
ReplyDelete10 years ago, I married my husband for the insurance benefits. He hates it when I tell people that, but it's true. We had a good thing going, but truth be told, I wouldn't have married him if not for his insurance and my need for coverage. What a world we live in. I can't believe Parnell sleeps at night.
Delete"I could simply buy insurance the old fashioned way, except that I really cannot swing the $700.00 to $900.00 payments I would have to pony up without the help of Obamacare."
ReplyDeleteHm. Wife and I spend ~$1100/month for health insurance because hospitalization for either of us would cost umpteen thousands. At ~$1100/month we'd be way ahead in that situation.
An Enraged John Boehner Blows Up After Obama Thwarts His Plan To Screw the Uninsured
ReplyDelete...President Obama cut the latest Republican smear campaign off at the knees, and also dealt a death blow to one of the GOP’s favorite complaints about the ACA. Republicans have argued that Obama has given special waivers to his political friends. They have cried crocodile tears about the unfairness of the little person getting screwed, but when the president wanted to keep enrollment open for the same people that Republicans were claimed to be defending, John Boehner flew into a rage, cussing and moaning about the deadline being enforced.
Obama outsmarted Boehner again, and killed his next line of Obamacare attacks before they could get started. The real reason why Speaker Boehner is angry is because the ACA is working, and there isn’t a damn thing that he can do to stop it.
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/03/26/enraged-john-boehner-blows-obama-thwarts-plan-screw-uninsured.html
Liars always hate it when they get caught.
DeleteThe more public the exposure, the more they hate it.
And where did President Obama get THAT idea?
Deletehttp://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/03/26/3419068/flashback-the-bush-administration-extended-the-enrollment-period-for-medicare-part-d/
Guess Mr Boehner was at the bar back then, or in the tanning booth.
Once again, President Obama engages his brain BEFORE making a move on the 3d chessboard,
Here comes Sarah's next endorsement!
ReplyDeleteGOP Candidate *Literally* Shoots Holes In Obamacare In New Campaign Video
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/gop-candidate-kills-obamacare
"Damn, do I hate Republicans!"
ReplyDelete----------------------------------------
And why not? These loathsome scum hope for Americans to die or go bankrupt so that they can blame it on the President.
"I am unable to sign up for the ACA "
ReplyDeleteIronic, disappointing and sucky. Sorry to read this, bro.
FYI, the earliest realistic projection for single payer is 2062 when you'll be... what? 92?
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DAMN IT, GRYPHEN!! I made a mistake AGAIN which I didnt see until after I hit Publish and there's no way to edit comments!! That last paragraph should read:
"FYI, the earliest realistic projection for single payer is 2162 when you'll be... what? 192?"
We were lucky - health insurance has cost us $1000 per month for the past 10 years - with the passage of the ACA, my premiums dropped to $675 month. Thank you Obama. It pays for itself. My broken leg cost more than $25K last summer...and my costs were around $6K total.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat. I figured that by overstating my income I could qualify for subsidies. After I paid the tax on my fictitious income I would be getting insurance for about $200 a month. Is it a crime to overstate your income? As I recall, when one understates his income by more than %25 the penalties become serious. What if I over state my income by %50? Is there a penalty for that?
ReplyDeleteA lie is a lie.
DeleteIf they catch you, yes, it might not be pretty.
Gryphen I hope all those bastard governors who refused the Medicaid expansion rot in the hell they are trying to inflict on others.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear this, G. you are one of many who fall between the cracks, all simply because your state governor is so vindictive and malevolent.
ReplyDeleteI've read about conservatives blasting about their entitlement to guns and ammo, entitlement to live large and proud, but they view individuals as 'entitled' to want affordable medical care, or 'demanding' as to want to be stress-free and have Medicaid as a safety net. Yet they whine and cry and throw tantrums when people rise up and complain about them, viewing them as peasants, and calling them 'haters'.
I'm not in any of these situations now, but I feel the pain and anger of my friends in the US, who have to be treated this way.
It's outrageous. But know this, these guys and gals have to sleep at night. Wonder if they really do sleep at night.
I'm in the same boat you are Gryphen. I was soooooooo excited to be able to have health insurance!!! Come to find out that due to my Governor (Oklahoma) I STILL cannot afford it because they didn't expand medicaid.
ReplyDeleteI guess there really WERE death panels after all. They were just put in place by Republicans.....
I know you love Alaska, Gryphen, but you should consider moving to a state that cares more about its citizens.
ReplyDeleteMove to California.
DeleteIf you live in Northern California, it gets cold and does snow.
If I was a cougar I'd suggest you come down here and marry me. I'm 59 and will be retiring next year, but I'll be able to keep my health insurance and it will cover spouses.
No, I think you need to get on the phone with a navigator asap.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Contact a navigator.
DeleteSeems that you should be able to get the ACA and some subsidy to help with it.
I will probably be in the same boat as you come July 1. I'm on Medicaid now, but my husband recently qualified for Social Security Disability. I work ($10/hour, WhooHoo!), so I suspect we'll make too much money for Medicaid when I have to fill out my re-enrollment forms in June. Fortunately, he is covered by the VA and their care during his illness has been awesome. I think I might be able to get a subsidy for Obamacare. Between the two of us we only gross around $30K.
ReplyDeleteSame situation in Georgia. And the legislature voted to make it illegal for all time to expand Medicaid. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteUntil a future legislature rescinds that law.
DeleteThis is why local elections are so important. You need to take back your state.
Same problem in MI. Blue Cross cancelled my policy end of Dec 2013, didn't qualify for subsidy and King Rick Synder, R gov decided not to expand medicaid until April 2014. So in mean time paying on my own.
ReplyDeleteThis is why local elections are so important and we need to get rid of these rethug governors!!!
This is all deliciously ironic.
ReplyDeleteFirst off we have people saying we need ACA because uninsured people cost all of us as we have to pay for their medical with higher rates for the rest of us. Then we have people bragging about how their insurance costs have gone down since ACA. But they can't connect the dots and see that their rates have come down because somebody else's rates have gone up. And now because a bunch of previously un-insurable have been thrown into the system, it's really going to drive up the costs to everyone else BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE IS STILL PAYING FOR THESE PEOPLE'S MEDICAL COSTS. And now you've thrown in an extra layer of cost by adding a layer of bureaucracy to administer it all. So you haven't gotten rid of the problem (paying for someone else's medical costs) You've just redefined it and added an extra layer of cost. You are still paying for their medical costs. In fact you are now paying for more medical because if something is free, the chances are, they are going to use it for every little symptom they think they have.
This is just like daylight savings time. You don't save a damn thing, all you do is redefine what already exists. Except this time you are adding to the cost.
I can already pay for my own medical treatment. Why do I need an insurance company to pay it for me adding a layer of cost and reducing my choices? And why should I help subsidize health care for people who smoke, drink, engage in unhealthy habits like drugs or unprotected sex, or eat junk food?
Who peed in your cornflakes this morning? If we had single payer in the country - like the rest of the civilized world - PROFIT would be out of the system. That's what the insurance companies take. And not all of the newly insured people life lifestyles you don't approve of. It's so nice that you can afford to pay all of your medical bills in cash. Most of us aren't so fortunate.
DeleteNo, moron, their rates have gone down because we have more people in the pool providing more in premiums. And people will be able to treat illnesses early at a much lower cost preventing the expenses of a major illness for everyone. And preventive care costs everyone much less than care for an illness. And the ER won't have to serve as the first medical contact.
DeleteI find it hard to believe that someone with hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars lying around as you claim to have ("I can already pay for my own medical treatment."), is reading this blog. Or has the intelligence to accumulate and hang on to enough money to not be concerned about medical bills. You clearly have no financial sense at all.
Nefer, you obviously don't understand math. The more people in the pool you are talking about are net drains of the system. That is why they weren't in the system in the first place. Rates have not gone down, the system just started so the rates are being established. Rates will have to go up to pay for the new enrollees with pre-existing conditions. What you are seeing now are like credit card "introduction rates". They suck you in with low rates, then stick you with high interest or in this case high cost insurance. But keep living in your dream world.
DeleteI started to have medical concerns. But, not having insurance, I instead researched the cause for my concerns. My research led to the realisation that as we age, we may have a need for amino acid supplementaton. I have been waiting for a chance to tell this: Doctors will prescribe for symptoms instead of going to the cause. They are in the pocket of Big Pharma, and pharma makes no money from things they cannot patent. I have read that amino acid supplements should not be needed if you eat right. Do you eat right? All the time? I don't. But the difference in my health since I started an aggressive amino acid regimen are nothing short of amazing. I am 62 yrs old, and in the best health of my life, in spite of the poor choices I sometimes made and continued for years. I have not seen a doctor in years, and now have no need to. My heart, circulation, weight, energy level....I could go on. And I walk 25 miles a week on strong legs.
ReplyDeletePlease don't take my work for it. Do the research. Your doctor will not tell you this, he (she) does not know, or care, or maybe believe.
I will never go back.
Give me a starting point besides googling "amino acids" and "age." Thank you!!!
DeleteIf you search "health benefits of amino acid supplementation" there are dozens of examples. dig, and keep digging. here's one to start with:
Deletehttp://www.healthguidance.org/entry/16272/1/Amino-Acid-Supplements--Benefits-and-Side-Effects.html
Will eating right take care of appendicitis?
DeleteYou can't just take advice for what it is? WHat a stupid question.
DeleteForgot to add: amino acids are called "the building blocks of life". There is a reason for this.
ReplyDeleteTnx for reading.
Gryphen, I'd check to see if there are any ACA Navigators in Alaska. They know the new healthcare system better than most people.
ReplyDeleteWhen you sign up for ACA, you are on the honor system, and you are essentially "estimating" your income for the next year.
If that changes of course, you are supposed to call in to let them know, but for now, could you anticipate getting some more earned income?
As for real stories, here are a few testimonials from another board where we are discussing the ACA.
ReplyDelete" We chatted for about a hour after that, finding out that he used to live and work here but now lives in New Mexico, but was up here for a doctor/hospital visit, he has cancer, some form of Leukemia
He found out from his doctor that now that he has turned 70 his Medicare no longer will cover the treatment portion of his illness, but will only provide him with pain medications. He said its part of the new ACA code.
Fortunately for him he was able to get insurance somehow through his wife's employer and go back on the treatment and see the doctors/hospitals he was seeing before. Seattle Cancer Care and UW are not covered under the ACA plans.
So he tells me that "technically" there are no "death panels" in the ACA, but they sure as hell are choosing who gets treatment and who doesn't. They are simply providing pain pills to make them more comfortable as they die."
And another
"Over the last three weeks, we've been in the emergency room 3 times. Each time we've experienced a sea of runny noses and bellyaches. It was quite obvious that these people were there because it didn't cost them anything to do so. My wife, experiencing a brain problem, waited over two hours the first visit and two hours the third visit. The second we were sent in quickly only because her opthomologist had called ahead and ordered an emergency CT scan. The triage nurse told us that "this is the new state of healthcare. Using the emergency room as a free replacement for over-the-counter cold medicine."
We pay many thousands of dollars in premiums, meds, and co-pays each year, $2K just in the last month alone. With this system, the President will make families like mine less healthy and way less prosperous. And, we haven't even seen the rate hike that's coming on July 1st yet. It's going to be a whopper for those of us who pay their way. I'm disgusted with what he and the liberals have done to US. I seriously want to quit my 10-12 hour-a-day job and live off someone else for a change."
The USA is the ONLY developed nation on the planet without a single payer, government sponsored or government run health care system.
DeleteAll other nations have health care as a NON PROFIT.
We of course being such 'cepshunal 'Muricans have a FOR PROFIT system with CEO's of health care companies making 20 or 30 million a year, while other people suffer and die.
The ONLY reason we have the ACA is because Congressional Repubs refused to even consider Medicare for all, or some variation on it.
Did you know that the ACA is a Heritage Foundation plan dreamed up by pro business conservatives? Why do you think Romney was for it?
Obamacare is the only compromise that the Dems could get through the Congress
Your so called "stories" are just that, and are unsubstantiated horse shit unless you can provide documentation
Non profit, single payer care, with wholesale drug and surgery costs would cut 100 billion dollars of costs.
The only losers would be the bloated fat cats, system scammers and the insane profiteers from the drug companies charging %2000 per cent profit on medications.
Head on over to WND or Hotair, or C4Pee to preach your idiocy
Those are such bullshit stories. Lies, lies, lies. Are the people on those boards just liars, or stupid too? If you are not on those boards debunking such stupid lies, then you must be stupid and a liar also.
Delete"Indeed, I can’t show you either of these provisions in the law because there is absolutely nothing written in the ACA that changes how baseball is played just as there is nothing in the law that so much as hints at some nefarious change indicating that Medicare is going to cut off active treatment to those who reach the magic age of 70.
Recently, I discovered the source of this particularly ugly bit of disinformation—a radio caller phoning into the uber-conservative talk show hosted by Mark Levin."
This statement was from Forbes, hardly a liberal outlet.
"The triage nurse told us that "this is the new state of healthcare. Using the emergency room as a free replacement for over-the-counter cold medicine."
We pay many thousands of dollars in premiums, meds, and co-pays each year, $2K just in the last month alone. With this system, the President will make families like mine less healthy and way less prosperous."
What an incredibly asinine statement. New system? This is the system we have had for decades. Thanks to the ACA/Obamacare, families won't have to go to ERs for treatment. They will be able to see a doctor.
You absolutely cannot blame ACA/Obamacare for ERs being used for non-emergency care. It has been going on for decades.
You mentioned "real stories." You sure didn't provide any. Go chew on your chain emails.
As for runny noses and bellyaches, that is NOTHING new. Do you live in a state that didn't expand Medicaid?
DeleteI was laid-off last May, could not find a job. Don't qually for Medicaid in Idaho. Sh#t outa luck until... I became self-employed and expect to make under 12K which makes my insurance payment under $22/month !
ReplyDelete"Seattle Cancer Care is one of the best treatment centers for cancer in the world.
ReplyDeleteAdd Children's Hospital in Seattle to the list of world class treatment centers not covered by ObamaCare dominoes.
http://www.seattlechildrens.org/insurancechanges/
"My child is a patient at Children’s. What do these changes mean for me?"
"If you buy health insurance on Washington Healthplanfinder that covers your child, Seattle Children’s is currently not covered by all of the plans." Children’s is covered only by these plans:
Group Health Core
Community HealthEssentials
Molina Marketplace
If you choose an Exchange plan from another insurance company, Children’s is considered “out-of-network” for these Exchange plans, and your plan may not pay for your child’s care here.""
My brother is one of those people whose opinions are all based on Fox news. He knows the ACA is the worst thing that has ever happened in the history of the world! He asked me how I came out on Obamacare. Having been unemployed half the year I explained that I don't make enough for subsidies, and I don't qualify for medicaid. He was shocked to find out that some people don't qualify for medicaid. I guess in the Sean Hannity universe, all low income people get huge handouts from the government. The hundreds of hours he's spent listening to Foxtards talk about Obamacare and he still has no idea what the law actually does. The scary thing is, he's a doctor with his own successful practice. He's not an idiot, he's just completely brainwashed.
ReplyDeleteI'm in one of those GOP Governor states, but our "Mensa" member, Tom Corbett, wants to expand it to about half a million people, with certain criteria like drug testing and lifetime limits and job seaches for those working less than 20 hours a week. He wants to save the state taxpayers money, ya know. Can't have anyone cheating the system, getting anything for free. But it won't fly, The ACA won't cave to his demands.
ReplyDeleteYet he somehow found the taxpayer's funds to make a pilgrimage to Rome to kiss the Pope's ring, beg him to come to Philly, and he got a copy of the cracked liberty bell. Ironically, he spoke about the catholic outreach to help the needy and poor, bless his white cotton tube socks.
I work for an ortho practice and can tell you the plan is working. For those not lost in this non medicaid expansion hole, the patients we've seen that have signed up are using insurance just exactly as employer plans are used. Monthly premiums, 80/20 copays.
ReplyDeleteWe're seeing people that just a few months ago would have been a drain on our services through emergency care. Now they can plan for surgery instead of waiting for things to be so critical they show up at the ER. Nothing I've seen so far has been free to these folks, they pay premiums just like the rest of us, there just isn't a pre-existing waiting period anymore. My doctor agrees, this is a vast improvement!