What would be the best website to check for the new health insurance plans that rolled out today?

http://www.coveroregon.com/ seemed to work. It told me to apply for Medicaid.

edit.. :: yikes

@johnpowell Woah! Over $300/month for a plan with a $2500+ deductible? How exactly is that “affordable?”

My husband has insurance for us through his employer. He pays about $80/month for medical, dental, and vision for both of us with $1500 deductibles (medical). Needless to say, I won’t be complaining about that price anytime soon.

I don’t understand the Affordable Healthcare Act. I’ve been trying to figure out the effect it’ll have on our coverage, but all I can find online is political mumbo-jumbo. I need to find someone to explain it to be like I’m a 5-year-old.

you can start at healthcare.gov and it will direct you to the exchange in your state. If you already have insurance you are under no obligation to buy it from the exchange.

LOL! Got through everything, setting up an account. Last page said, “Your account can’t be created at this time. The system is unavailable!” Don’t tell me that isn’t a government organization. Of course, that wouldn’t have happened under Lincoln.
Guess I’ll try later.

@Dutchess_III, it might not have happened if the stupid House hadn’t shut down the government, but it any case, this is the first day. There were bound glitches, as with any new government program or website.

@johnpowell, nice touch. Took me a second to see it.

When the government shuts down, exactly what does that mean? Does EVERY single government worker not go to work? Does it include web site producers? Does it include city workers and teachers?

I just realized that @johnpowell ‘s premium will be reduced by $199.00. That’s the benefit of Obamacare. It’s not $350, it’s it’s $150.

Oh, @Judi! I see that now! I missed it. :)
Thta $350 is what it was before the ACA. Is $150 a little better @johnpowell?

$150 is still too much, especially if it’s just for one reasonably healthy person. I’d spend way less than $150/month on doctor’s visits if I had no insurance. Most don’t have emergency room visits and expensive tests to worry about on a yearly basis. What a ripoff.

I paid $30/week for Blue Cross Blue Shield for myself when I worked at a bank full time. That’s about what most state employees in my area pay for their insurance as well, and there’s not a ridiculous $2500 deductible to worry about.

How are lower middle class people going to pay for that?

@livelaughlove21 , you paid so little because your employer subsidized the rest. The amount of the government subsidy ($199 in @johnpowell ‘s case) is based on your income. The amount of the premium total before subsidies is based on your age.

But you’d think the Affordable Healthcare Act would actually make healthcare…well, affordable. I guess not.

it is way more affordable than it was before subsidies.

“More affordable” isn’t necessarily affordable. If they mark down a new Jaguar from $85K to $65K, it may be more affordable than it was but I could still never afford to get one.

@livelaughlove21 did you look up the price for you in the exchange? You may not use more than $150 a month in office visits but if you were in an accident or got a life threatening illness would you be able to afford the bills? I know you just bought a new home. Are you ready to lose it because of an illness? What about 10 years down the road when you have built equity? Are you ready to see the hospitals seize everything you have worked for because you had appendicitis or broke your leg?
Are you planning on having children some day? Have you looked at what it costs just in medical bills?
I guess affordable IS relative but unlike a car, medical care is necessary at some point in everyones life.

@Judi I’m not saying medical insurance isn’t necessary, so I’m not sure why you’re trying to convince me it is. I’m saying not everyone can afford an extra $150–200 a month. My point is that healthcare should actually be affordable – for everyone – because it’s so important to have. That’s all I’m saying.

I have insurance, and fortunately I don’t have to pay this much for it. My kids will have insurance as well. I wish everyone could say that, so they don’t have to worry about losing everything because of one illness or accident. Offering insurance at $199/month isn’t even close to making that possible for people who aren’t lucky enough to make a lot of money. Needing insurance isn’t enough – you have to have the means to acquire it. If it’s $150 for one person, how expensive will it be for an entire family? Too expensive is my guess.

That $150 amount is based on the information @johnpowell‘s entered. Have no idea what his income is or what his overall situation is.

When I can get into the website (which appears to be overloaded with the 2 or 3 Americans who actually WANTED the ACA trying to sign up—according the the Republicans) I’m going to put in my 1996 stats and see what comes up. At that point I’ll have a better idea of what others may be looking at.

Okay, that’s fine, but if he made enough money to afford this insurance, they wouldn’t suggest he apply for Medicaid.

Just to be clear, nothing I’m saying is a shot at Obamacare. As I said, I don’t know a whole lot about it. I know the idea is to make insurance affordable for everyone, which is wonderful in theory. But I’m just concerned that what the powers that be consider affordable really isn’t for the average American.

@livelovelaugh21, what I was saying was that if you make less money then your premium would be less. It’s sort of a sliding scale. You can’t afford $120–150 a month. Maybe @johnpowell can. We don’t know what income he put into the calculation.

Again, they suggested Medicaid. That’s generally not a suggestion given to someone that has a large amount of disposable income.

Well, then in his case he should apply for Medicade, which I believe has a $0 premium. I wonder if they were saying “But if you want to get a different insurance plan, this is what is out there.”
But…I’m just guessing. @johnpowell needs to chime back in.

It looks as though each state has its own webpage to determine your best options. Cover California told me to apply for Medi-Cal (which I did not know that I qualified for—I will have to double-check the accuracy of this referral), which is to be expected since I only work part-time. I was not given any premiums as an option.

My parents are quite up in arms over the Affordable Care Act. I am not sure what their combined estimated income is, but do know that it is low. I would be curious to check what their options are as they both do need quality healthcare with their age and health. I can get away without insurance because (knock on wood) I am relatively healthy.

@muppetish , you probably didn’t qualify until now. Part of Obamacare was expanding Medicaid (in California it’s Medi Cal) so that more people will be covered. The cost of that expansion is fully subsidized by the federal government for 10 years. 20 states (thank goodness California wasn’t one of them) declined this 100% subsidy and left a crap load of people to unnecessarily fend for themselves.

@Judi I plan on moving by the end of next year; thank goodness all of my target states are participating in the expansion. It’s hard enough working on an adjunct’s salary.

Kansas was one of those @Judi.

A reason to move to California @Dutchess_III !

No kidding.

As long as it’s a cheap part of California. I’m pretty sure average rents here are much higher than in Kansas.

Here’s some places that are pretty affordable.

Yes, but so is the minimum wage @FutureMemory. My grandson started a fast food job, his first, in the Seattle area this past summer He started at $10 something an hour. Here we start at 7-something.

California is fixing to up the minimum wage to $10 an hour.

We’ve barely gotten past $5.50.

No kidding, @Dutchess_III? I thought the national minimum was at least over $7 an hour.