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>healthcare (US) is a major factor. Not as much since Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) became law over ten years ago. Anyone can get minimum essential coverage

>healthcare (US) is a major factor. Not as much since Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) became law over ten years ago. Anyone can get minimum essential coverage, with a subsidy if income is low enough (as it would be when out of a job), regardless of pre-existing conditions.

kbolino 2y ago
If you go without a job for a while and you don't want Medicaid [edit -- not even an option: and you don't want to submit to an invasive examination of your finances], you are paying out of pocket for individual marketplace plans. While they run a lot cheaper than COBRA, they are still hefty (ca. $500/mo for 2 people at minimum coverage). Maybe it was worse before the ACA but it sure isn't a picnic after.
- PopAlongKid 2y ago
  >invasive examination of your finances, The househpold income is voluntarily self-reported.
  - kbolino 2y ago
    You're right. I misremembered; no amount of information would have helped. The option was Medicaid or full out of pocket.
- nanidin 2y ago
  Can you clarify on the "invasive examination of your finances"? In my experience, when you apply on healthcare.gov, you simply enter your estimated income for the year you're applying - that's it, and you get the subsidy. Then when you file your taxes for that year, you either get more subsidy as a credit, or pay some back depending on whether you came in above or below the estimate you provided on the application.
  - kbolino 2y ago
    I was wrong. My estimated income for the year was $0, so the only choice was Medicaid or full out of pocket.
    - sgerenser 2y ago
      You did it wrong. Just always estimate just above the Medicaid threshold (assuming you legitimately don’t think you’ll make much in the year). Then you get the maximum subsidy, which might even make a Bronze plan completely free. If you end up making less at the end of the year, and really should have been on Medicaid, nothing gets clawed back. If you end up making more than estimated, you just have to pay back some of the subsidy.
      - kbolino 2y ago
        Well, there's six grand I'll never get back. At least I know for the future.
SkyPuncher 2y ago
While I have done this, problem is most people don’t view health insurance as a cost they should cover in any capacity. Most employers aren’t really providing much “healthcare value” when compared to simply going on the exchange directly.
- ghaff 2y ago
  Even Medicare--with various add-ons--is not exactly cheap.

kbolino 2y ago

If you go without a job for a while and you don't want Medicaid [edit -- not even an option: and you don't want to submit to an invasive examination of your finances], you are paying out of pocket for individual marketplace plans. While they run a lot cheaper than COBRA, they are still hefty (ca. $500/mo for 2 people at minimum coverage). Maybe it was worse before the ACA but it sure isn't a picnic after.

PopAlongKid 2y ago
>invasive examination of your finances, The househpold income is voluntarily self-reported.
- kbolino 2y ago
  You're right. I misremembered; no amount of information would have helped. The option was Medicaid or full out of pocket.
nanidin 2y ago
Can you clarify on the "invasive examination of your finances"? In my experience, when you apply on healthcare.gov, you simply enter your estimated income for the year you're applying - that's it, and you get the subsidy. Then when you file your taxes for that year, you either get more subsidy as a credit, or pay some back depending on whether you came in above or below the estimate you provided on the application.
- kbolino 2y ago
  I was wrong. My estimated income for the year was $0, so the only choice was Medicaid or full out of pocket.
  - sgerenser 2y ago
    You did it wrong. Just always estimate just above the Medicaid threshold (assuming you legitimately don’t think you’ll make much in the year). Then you get the maximum subsidy, which might even make a Bronze plan completely free. If you end up making less at the end of the year, and really should have been on Medicaid, nothing gets clawed back. If you end up making more than estimated, you just have to pay back some of the subsidy.
    - kbolino 2y ago
      Well, there's six grand I'll never get back. At least I know for the future.

SkyPuncher 2y ago

While I have done this, problem is most people don’t view health insurance as a cost they should cover in any capacity. Most employers aren’t really providing much “healthcare value” when compared to simply going on the exchange directly.

ghaff 2y ago
Even Medicare--with various add-ons--is not exactly cheap.