I pay $400 dollars a month just to cover me. Will the ACA allow me to choose a plan that will

[diabeticman]

cover both my wife and I for that price or is it that I have to keep my employer plan?


We live in PA and also my employers plan is a once a year sign up. Does the ACA allow me to switch plans if I am able to find coverage for both of us for the price I am paying for just myself.

[NightWatcher]

1. www.healthcare.gov

[diabeticman]

10. thanks for the link I will look at that link.

[NYC_SKP]

2. Check this:

http://pahealthaccess.org/getcoveredPA

[diabeticman]

9. Thanks for the link I will look into this.

[enlightenment]

3. If your employer's plan

meets the minimum requirements, you cannot buy off the exchange with a government subsidy - you would have to pay the full price, which may or may not be more than what you are currently paying.

That said, your wife may be able to buy individual coverage off the exchange for a reasonable sum.

[diabeticman]

8. kind of feels like a catch 22. But thank you for the info.

[Barack_America]

4. If your employer offers you coverage that is less than 9.5% of your income.

...you will not be able to participate in the exchange. Nor will your wife, regardless if your employer contributes anything to her coverage.

This, unfortunately, is the "family gap". My family is affected too.

[kestrel91316]

5. I think that's 8.5%.

[Barack_America]

7. Did it change? Pretty sure it's still 9.5%.

Regardless, it's bullshit that it only applies to individual coverage. There is no maximum for health insurance costs of families. Many families would be better off begging employers to drop their coverage. My #1 beef with the ACA.

[leftstreet]

12. Yes it's 9.5% n/t

[diabeticman]

6. THank you for that info

[diabeticman]

11. So if I make 10.72 an hour and work 40 hours a week for 52 weeks I make 22297.60 I pay $400

dollars a month and basically that runs a about $4800 year I am spending on Health insurance.

and if I remember percentage math correctly it is an average of 4.8 percent of my paycheck.

I may be good at night auditing I am just confused at this. Sorry for that.

[Barack_America]

13. It's based off of your "modified gross income"...

... Which is closer to your household income.

Importantly, while the ACA requires dependent children be offered employer-based insurance, spouses are not required to be covered. If your employer excludes coverge for your wife, she could still participate in the exchanges.

This site does a good job at describing the various scenarios.

http://www.gbophb.org/TheWell/Root/HFLX/4523.pdf

[diabeticman]

15. thank you

[NotThisTime]

14. With those numbers you just gave, you pay 20% for your healthcare

[diabeticman]

16. AH! this is what makes me pull out my hair. So am I paying too much in the ACA's eyes or right

amount? I am asking because I want to make the best choice for my wife and I also Her lungs have been weaken due to a bad illness a few years ago. The one plan she tried to get considered Pneumonia a Pre-existing condiction. I also have type 1 diabetes. So this is my fear. Do I make her wait until 2014 to get insurance so she won't be rejected and we have to pay basically for insurance that is no use to her OR will we get penalized by her not having it we average a join tax return of around $34000.