> If you make under 133% of the federal poverty level in non-expansion states, you don't qualify for the exchanges. You can buy insurance on the exchanges, you

> If you make under 133% of the federal poverty level in non-expansion states, you don't qualify for the exchanges. You can buy insurance on the exchanges, you just don't get subsidies. Which does make it a largely moot point, since the last time I checked premiums for the low-end plans ran around $600/month unsubsidized, obviously out of reach for anyone who would have otherwise qualified for Medicaid. > you won't qualify without serious tax shifting around the eligibility year enrollment cycle. I could be mistaken, but I've helped people with this process personally and we didn't run into any problems in that regard. Lose your job, you're making $0/month, you qualify and there's no tax things we had to deal with. (I can't say, of course, that we did it all correctly but nobody has come back and punished her for what we did.) > Also, to a different point above, COBRA is not 'discounted'. It temporary, but generally just as expensive as private insurance. I am fully aware, but a hypothetical middle to upper-middle class person who lost their job would have that option available to them unless they had no savings.