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I tried to get coverage on the 22nd. The process is very long and tedious. I spent a solid 5 hours going through the entire process about 6 or 7 times, from st

I tried to get coverage on the 22nd. The process is very long and tedious. I spent a solid 5 hours going through the entire process about 6 or 7 times, from start to finish, only to get told each time afterwards that it's not complete for some odd reason, and to start over again on step #1! I tried multiple things, deleting the application, using Chrome instead of IE, etc. On the 23rd you could not even log in - they took that option away. What bothered me the most was, besides your social security number and a slew of personal information, they even demand that if you are a naturalized or derived citizen, you locate your naturalization or citizenship certificate and enter numbers (Alien # and Cert #) from it that -- get this - their Javascript refuses to validate (it kind of looked like their rule match is off by a digit). And you get stuck on that step. I also noticed that if you enter your income as below $10,000, the system tells you that you qualify for no benefits. But the moment you enter $11,500, you get a $260 tax credit. Go figure that one out.

bmelton 13y ago
> I also noticed that if you enter your income as below $10,000, the system tells you that you qualify for no benefits! I know that the common plight there is that some are poor enough that they qualify for Medicare vs. Obamacare, though I admittedly don't know what the distinction is. If you need insurance, and Healthcare.gov is telling you you're too poor, it might simply be failing to tell you to go check with Medicare and see if you're eligible there.
- powertower 13y ago
  No. It was rather - Enter $10,000 - you get no credit. Enter $10,500 - you get big credit. Enter $11,000 - you get no credit. Enter $11,500 - you get big credit. Etc.
  - bmelton 13y ago
    Ah. I misread then. That's... odd, to say the least. About in line with the expectation though, I suppose.
- tzs 13y ago
  The ACA expanded the income range for Medicare eligibility. Eligibility for insurance through ACA starts where that expanded range ends. The Supreme Court said that states could choose not to expand Medicare, thus leaving a gap in which people make too much for Medicare but not enough for ACA coverage. 23 states have taken that route, even though it is more expensive overall than expanding Medicare.
- dragonwriter 13y ago
  > I know that the common plight there is that some are poor enough that they qualify for Medicare vs. Obamacare Medicaid, not Medicare. Completely different programs. > though I admittedly don't know what the distinction is. Medicaid is state run, largely federally-funded public insurance program (sometimes delivered through capitated private plans contracted with the State), "Obamacare" is just private insurance with specific standards, with subsidies for people between 100% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Line. > If you need insurance, and Healthcare.gov is telling you you're too poor, it might simply be failing to tell you to go check with Medicare and see if you're eligible there. Everyone too poor to get subsidies for private insurance (and some people who aren't, because the subsidies kick in at 100% FPL, and the Medicaid expansion was beyond that) through the ACA would be eligibile for Medicaid if all states had expanded Medicaid as set out in the ACA, however, half have not after the Supreme Court rules they could choose not to and still get funding for existing Medicaid programs.
  - bmelton 13y ago
    You are 100% correct. Thank you.
tunesmith 13y ago
Isn't that part of why that Supreme Court decision was such a big deal? It's possible to make so little that you won't qualify for Obamacare subsidies, but the assumption was that those people would always qualify for Medicaid due to the Medicaid expansions. However, the Court ruled that states couldn't be forced to expand Medicaid. So for many of those states that are refusing to accept the Medicaid expansion, there are people that make too much to qualify for Medicaid, yet not enough to qualify for ACA.
- powertower 13y ago
  From what I've been able to gather, since the majority of the States did not expand Medicaid to additionally cover those making straight poverty line incomes, and since Obamacare has increased the cost of insurance premiums across the board in all but a few states (300% in NC alone), the poor will simply not be able to get or buy insurance - period. Only those making over $11,500-$15,000 or so will get the credit. The real kicker to all this is that if you don't end up making that amount this year (2014), even if you are off by $20, you'll be forced to pay back the entire tax credit the government allowed you!
  - knyt 13y ago
    > if you don't end up making that amount this year ... you'll be forced to pay back the entire tax credit My understanding is that the repayment amount is capped based on your income, so, for example, a person whose income came in just below the FPL (or just below 138% of the FPL in states that expanded Medicaid) would be liable for at most $300 of the advance premium tax credit. Likely outdated source: http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/8154.pdf http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/81... (2011)
  - tzs 13y ago
    23 states have not expanded Medicare and do not plan to. 25 and DC have expanded it for 2014, and 2 more are going to but post-2014.
  - dragonwriter 13y ago
    > From what I've been able to gather, since the majority of the States did not expand Medicaid to additionally cover those making straight poverty line incomes 25 states plus DC are participating in the ACA expansion of Medicaid up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level and two additional states are working to implement expansion late [1]. > since Obamacare has increased the cost of insurance premiums across the board in all but a few states (300% in NC alone), the poor will simply not be able to get or buy insurance - period. Yes, its true that in states that have chosen to reject the -- completely federally funded in the short term and 90% federally funded in the long term -- Medicaid expansion, people making under 100% of FPL will generally have neither Medicaid nor the ability to afford individual insurance. [1] http://kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/state-activity-around-expanding-medicaid-under-the-affordable-care-act/#notes http://kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/state-activity-...

bmelton 13y ago

> I also noticed that if you enter your income as below $10,000, the system tells you that you qualify for no benefits! I know that the common plight there is that some are poor enough that they qualify for Medicare vs. Obamacare, though I admittedly don't know what the distinction is. If you need insurance, and Healthcare.gov is telling you you're too poor, it might simply be failing to tell you to go check with Medicare and see if you're eligible there.

powertower 13y ago
No. It was rather - Enter $10,000 - you get no credit. Enter $10,500 - you get big credit. Enter $11,000 - you get no credit. Enter $11,500 - you get big credit. Etc.
- bmelton 13y ago
  Ah. I misread then. That's... odd, to say the least. About in line with the expectation though, I suppose.
tzs 13y ago
The ACA expanded the income range for Medicare eligibility. Eligibility for insurance through ACA starts where that expanded range ends. The Supreme Court said that states could choose not to expand Medicare, thus leaving a gap in which people make too much for Medicare but not enough for ACA coverage. 23 states have taken that route, even though it is more expensive overall than expanding Medicare.
dragonwriter 13y ago
> I know that the common plight there is that some are poor enough that they qualify for Medicare vs. Obamacare Medicaid, not Medicare. Completely different programs. > though I admittedly don't know what the distinction is. Medicaid is state run, largely federally-funded public insurance program (sometimes delivered through capitated private plans contracted with the State), "Obamacare" is just private insurance with specific standards, with subsidies for people between 100% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Line. > If you need insurance, and Healthcare.gov is telling you you're too poor, it might simply be failing to tell you to go check with Medicare and see if you're eligible there. Everyone too poor to get subsidies for private insurance (and some people who aren't, because the subsidies kick in at 100% FPL, and the Medicaid expansion was beyond that) through the ACA would be eligibile for Medicaid if all states had expanded Medicaid as set out in the ACA, however, half have not after the Supreme Court rules they could choose not to and still get funding for existing Medicaid programs.
- bmelton 13y ago
  You are 100% correct. Thank you.

tunesmith 13y ago

Isn't that part of why that Supreme Court decision was such a big deal? It's possible to make so little that you won't qualify for Obamacare subsidies, but the assumption was that those people would always qualify for Medicaid due to the Medicaid expansions. However, the Court ruled that states couldn't be forced to expand Medicaid. So for many of those states that are refusing to accept the Medicaid expansion, there are people that make too much to qualify for Medicaid, yet not enough to qualify for ACA.

powertower 13y ago
From what I've been able to gather, since the majority of the States did not expand Medicaid to additionally cover those making straight poverty line incomes, and since Obamacare has increased the cost of insurance premiums across the board in all but a few states (300% in NC alone), the poor will simply not be able to get or buy insurance - period. Only those making over $11,500-$15,000 or so will get the credit. The real kicker to all this is that if you don't end up making that amount this year (2014), even if you are off by $20, you'll be forced to pay back the entire tax credit the government allowed you!
- knyt 13y ago
  > if you don't end up making that amount this year ... you'll be forced to pay back the entire tax credit My understanding is that the repayment amount is capped based on your income, so, for example, a person whose income came in just below the FPL (or just below 138% of the FPL in states that expanded Medicaid) would be liable for at most $300 of the advance premium tax credit. Likely outdated source: http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/8154.pdf http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/81... (2011)
- tzs 13y ago
  23 states have not expanded Medicare and do not plan to. 25 and DC have expanded it for 2014, and 2 more are going to but post-2014.
- dragonwriter 13y ago
  > From what I've been able to gather, since the majority of the States did not expand Medicaid to additionally cover those making straight poverty line incomes 25 states plus DC are participating in the ACA expansion of Medicaid up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level and two additional states are working to implement expansion late [1]. > since Obamacare has increased the cost of insurance premiums across the board in all but a few states (300% in NC alone), the poor will simply not be able to get or buy insurance - period. Yes, its true that in states that have chosen to reject the -- completely federally funded in the short term and 90% federally funded in the long term -- Medicaid expansion, people making under 100% of FPL will generally have neither Medicaid nor the ability to afford individual insurance. [1] http://kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/state-activity-around-expanding-medicaid-under-the-affordable-care-act/#notes http://kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/state-activity-...