Whether you are self-employed, unemployed, or if the company you are involved/working in is not providing you with a relevant health insurance plan, you don’t really need to be concerned about it. The Health Insurance Marketplace founded under the Affordable Care Act still remains among the most viable options one can have when it comes to obtaining health insurance. Low-income people who qualify may also enroll in additional insurance coverage.
Medicaid
If right now you don’t have a job or you are just involved in doing a part-time job, the very first thing that you should do initially is to determine if you have any entitlement for Medicaid assistance. Medicaid is a popular healthcare program that is subsidized by the federal government and managed locally by the state.
Low-income families, pregnant women, children, and people with infirmity, as long as they can meet the eligibility requirements, have a good chance of reaping the benefits of free or low-cost health insurance.
There are 32 states, including the District of Columbia, that authorized the expansion of the scope of the health care services they can provide. People who are fortunate enough to be eligible for this program must earn less than 138 per cent of the federal poverty level every month. You will want to check out this page for more information regarding the eligibility requirements in your state.
CHIP
In states where Medicaid is not available to low-income families, children who belong to such households can be enrolled in the “Children’s Health Insurance Program” or “CHIP”. The vast majority of state CHIP programs help children and adolescents from low and middle-income family backgrounds. A significant portion of the CHIP programs serve families earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
Keep in mind that you can process and submit your CHIP and Medicaid applications at any time of the year, even when your entitlement for Obamacare is only during the annual Open Enrollment Period, or when you are finally given a go signal to take part in the Special Enrollment Period.
COBRA
People who finally decided to quit their job or just recently lost it may be lucky enough to find their entitlement to COBRA coverage. However, it should be anticipated that they might find it quite expensive.
If you are so keen on discovering the possible advantages and disadvantages of COBRA vs. ACA insurance plans, we encourage you to go here.
Obamacare
If you happen to be going beyond the Medicaid income threshold, we encourage you to go and explore the Obamacare health plans on the Marketplace instead. Doing so will help you see what kind of rates you can take advantage of and how much savings are at stake there.
Subsidies, tax credits, and other incentives can make health insurance in the Marketplace more affordable for many people earning 100 to 400% of the federal poverty level.
When you apply for Marketplace insurance, you get to see what discounts you qualify for right after providing some basic background information like your annual wage, your residence, and the size of your household.
When you apply, you’ll also discover if you’re entitled to Medicaid or not. Both Obamacare and Medicaid applications are available here.
It should be noted that most health insurance plans enrolled through Health Scout in 2019 have fixed premiums of $35 or less. Each of the four Health Scout subscribers paid a monthly premium of less than $2.50. You can get started by downloading this free guide at no cost.
If you would like to explore your options for health insurance, call the Health Scout Consumer Advocate Team at (816)-608-7888.