It's all about TRUTH.

IT'S ALL ABOUT TRUTH
Location is determined by position
Evidence will vary by location.
Facts will change according to evidence.
But TRUTH is unchanging.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

ACA? UACA? Nut case? Or ?

Approaching the end of the year, debates rage about "Affordable Care Act"...or "Obamacare".

I've been dead set against it.  Let me tell you about a trip to the website...Just for comparing purposes.  I, myself, am ineligible, since my COPD and hearing loss put me on Medicare.  This doesn't mean, of course, that I can't get supplementary insurance, but it is beyond me.

My wife, however, has no proven disability (Although I suspect one.)  We cannot afford to get her medicines, cannot afford to get disability proven.  It's a catch-22, an unsolvable puzzle.  Can't afford insurance, required to have insurance, but have no jobs, no money to purchase.  How "Nice," Mr. O.

Why would a 60+ year-old, post menopausal women need Maternity insurance?  That's just one part of the law...And MEN get it too.  STUPID, STUPID, STUPID.

I went to the health care site... just for curiosity's sake.  I found it, surprisingly, functional.  Not down.

Wasn't going to give info.  Had been told there was no way for "anonymous" shopping.  Not exactly.  But you really can't get deep into it.  I just checked "Bronze" plans.  ONE PERSON, living in the county, in Florida, age...

CHEAPEST... 515/month.  DEDUCTIBLE/YEAR, 6250.  In essence, that is entirely worthless.  It won't cover prescriptions until the deductible is met, and her prescriptions run (for two types of Insulin) 350-500/month.  Price may be higher; do not know for sure what the costs are in these parts.  There is no "Generic" for this type of insulin, yet, so high price is assured.  But 6000/year... STILL OUT OF POCKET.
No extra help is available.

SUBSIDIES:  Possible, but undetermined.  Earning as little as we do, she may fall through the "hole" in the safety net.    We are on the LOW end of help.  15K, or lower, you are not eligible for help in this state.  So, if you earn 10K, you get nothing; she's not eligible for Medicaid; this state did NOT expand it.  You must be on SS, Disabled, be pregnant or have young children to be eligible for it.  NOPE.

This leads to questions.  The subsidy, IF AVAILABLE, would be in the form of a tax credit.  I gather this means a once a year refund IF* you have a tax liability.  It seems that SSDI is included in Calculating income, but of course it is untaxed unless you have other income.  Is qualifying STILL doable?

IF qualifying is accepted, we will have to come up with 515/month on a 1370/month stipend.  When the house payment is over 900, Electric and Phone run 250 and 80 .. how do you come up with 515 more?
It leaves nothing for food.  It leaves nothing for gas.  It leaves nothing for Cable/Satellite.  It leaves nothing for clothes...Yep, this is "AFFORDABLE" all right.

Too many questions.  Have to call, ask.  Is the subsidy a yearly thing?  If  yes; cannot do!  At least not until there is some type of  extra income...

IF the subsidy can be done... well... you get the idea.  Right now, any subsidy in not verified, the only way is to sign up.  Goofy.  Then you find you aren't eligible?

As of right now, it is totally unaffordable.

IF we can start in June, it "MAY" be doable.  That is, if the subsidy is available.  If not, it is not affordable.  And the costs of the medicine still needed render it prodigal.  Maybe we need to see if other plans, higher cost, can do the job?  Or is it better to take the fine for the first year, and pray for the best?

Current belief; NOT A GOOD LAW.  Maybe well-intentioned, but still sucks.

I cannot pass a full judgment until I get more information.  I need answers and I doubt that the Fed is going to be able to give them.

Until answers are obtained, we remain stuck on an endless roller-coaster...and the only way off of it is death -- AS I SEE IT!


1 comment:

  1. An update: Checked some of the Silver plans... I really don't understand -- if these plans are all supposed to have the same things, why the difference in prices? Especially when the deductibles are the same? I have found some minor differences in payments by insurance (your own co-pays). Some say 30% of an ER visit, others cover all but 1000 after deductible, meds may or may not be covered with a small amount depending on what's there... Really, nothing is affordable. The "BEST" I've seen is an $800 deductible, 6000 out of pocket for year...but I really need to look at the fine print. But the cost? 627/month. Sorry. Not doable. Still need answers; not getting 'em.

    Current belief? Law is a crock, still needs HECK of a lot of revamping...Scrapped would be better. But this COULD change when I get the info I seek. Don't want to spend a fortune; CAN'T spend a fortune!

    Just saw a piece about someone who was eligible, as was his wife...but his three children (Two of them were ages 1 and 3) were not eligible, and his oldest (age not known) couldn't do anything either. Something, somewhere... is either blatantly wrong or the story is completely fabricated.

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