I am confused by health insurance, can someone help me?

Asked by hug_of_war (10735

) February 24th, 2014 from iPhone

I am on my mom’s insurance. In june I will age out (26). I will likely not be re-hired next year at my job due to a decrease in services we provide. My contract ends in May. I will either go to grad school or look for a similar job in other districts (I’m a teacher aide).

My questions.

1. I know the affordable care act has a special enrollment period, does aging out qualify me?

2. If I work, I won’t need the ACA insurance and will go with the job-based. Can I cancel after just 3 months (school insurance is pretty great).

3. What is a deductible?

4.I’m high risk for a dettached retina (which can lead to blindness). I also have yearly visits with an opthmalogist due to my low vision. Should I take anything into consideration when choosing a plan based on this?

5. I make just under $25k a year (gross income) but only about 15k in takehome pay. Basically I make very little. I’m kind of freaking out about losing another 15% to health insurance it looks like.

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7 Answers

Talk to a local insurance agent, interweb answers to insurance questions are random at best. Generally a life change will qualify you for insurance.

Tropical_Willie (31441

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I’m aware I need to talk to someone but iust trying to get an idea

hug_of_war (10735

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I agree with @Tropical_Willie, get your local insurance guy to go through it, there are too many variables for those of us not in insurance.

My friend makes less than $20k and has zero co-pay on prescriptions and he loves it.

KNOWITALL (29886

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If you go to grad school and get an assistanceship it usually will include health insurance. It did in my University. I’d look into it.

ARE_you_kidding_me (20021

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I did hear on the NPR weekly segment on the ACA that the enrollment deadlines are for the general public; but when certain life events occur, you can sign up at the time of the events, even if they’re after the deadline. Life events include turning 26, losing your job, getting a job, childbirth, and others.

As for whether you’ll be in school or not, or working or not, and how much you earn, those do complicate the process. If you are out of work and buy a policy through the marketplace, but then get coverage through a new job or grad school, you can switch to that plan and cancel the marketplace plan through the healthcare.gov website.

In addition to the NPR information: http://www.npr.org/series/231423897/the-affordable-care-act-explained
the Consumer’s Union has created a site to help, too:
https://www.healthlawhelper.org/

hearkat (22922

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