Recent additions
- Why was your health insurance claim denied – and what can you do?
- My health insurance company is leaving my market. What can I do?
- Can I buy coverage in the exchange that starts January 1 and stop paying for my COBRA insurance at that point?
- How does my access to employer-sponsored coverage impact my eligibility for subsidized coverage through the exchanges?
- What is the Medicaid ‘coverage gap’ and who does it affect?
- Will the family glitch fix help my family?
- Will ACA-compliant health plans cover the cost of at-home COVID tests?
- How can I get health insurance if my employer doesn’t offer it?
- How can I choose the best health insurance for me?
- I purchased health insurance under the Affordable Care Act in Texas, but I have moved to Colorado. How do I transfer my coverage?
- I’m self-employed. Is it better for me to buy health insurance through a broker, or through the exchange?
- I am a 21-year-old dependent living with my parents and going to school full time. I’m not married and have no kids, so do I apply for health insurance as a household of one and list only my own income? Or do I have to be on my parents’ insurance?
- My parents are 68, but recently moved to the U.S., so they don’t qualify for Medicare. Can they buy insurance in the exchange?
- We live in China right now but we don’t have health insurance for the times we come back to the states. What kind of insurance can we get?
- What are the deadlines for Obamacare’s open enrollment period?
- Will my health insurance cover the costs of coronavirus testing and treatment?
- Is there still a penalty for being uninsured?
- Who can help if I have a problem with my ACA-compliant coverage or exchange enrollment?
- Can I buy health insurance that’s compatible with an HSA during open enrollment?
- Under the ACA, can young adults still remain on their parents’ health plans until age 26?
ACA plan benefits
- Will my health insurance cover the costs of coronavirus testing and treatment?
- Is pediatric dental coverage included in exchange plans?
- Do ACA-compliant health insurance plans cover abortion?
- Do all health insurance policies cover maternity?
- How is vision care covered under the Affordable Care Act?
- Are visits to the chiropractor or physical therapist covered under the Affordable Care Act?
- Does the ACA require infertility treatment to be covered by health insurance?
- Pediatric dental is one of the essential health benefits on new plans. Does that mean that my insurance will cover braces for my son?
- What is the ACA’s preventive health services coverage mandate?
- Are dental benefits included in the health insurance exchange plans?
- What is a ‘new’ health plan? I’ve heard that only ‘new plans’ will cover preventive care without co-pays.
- I earn too much to qualify for a subsidy. Why should I buy through an exchange?
ACA plan options
- Can I buy health insurance that’s compatible with an HSA during open enrollment?
- What type of health insurance exchange does my state have?
- Are child-only policies available through the exchanges?
- Which health insurance exchange plan is best for me?
- Do Gold exchange plans offer more generous coverage than Bronze or Silver plans?
- How is a federal-state partnership different from a federal or state exchange?
- If all Silver plans cover the same benefits and percentage of costs, why do premiums vary by carrier?
- What are Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs)? How are they different from plans in the health insurance exchanges?
- My health insurance options from my employer are on an exchange. Is this part of Obamacare?
- We live in China right now but we don’t have health insurance for the times we come back to the states. What kind of insurance can we get?
Choosing coverage
- Should I let my individual health insurance plan automatically renew?
- When I compare health insurance plans in the exchange for our family, they all show total family deductibles. Does that mean we’d have to meet that full deductible even for just one person?
- Should I keep my grandmothered individual health policy or switch to an ACA-compliant plan?
- Who should consider a high-deductible health insurance plan?
Fact or fiction
- I have heard that because of Obamacare, employers have been dropping spouses from their plans. Is this true?
- My doctor posted a sign saying she ‘doesn’t take Obamacare.’ What should I do?
- I’ve heard that Obamacare included a tax on real estate transactions. When I sell my house, will I get stuck with a big tax bill to pay for everyone else’s healthcare?
- Who’s paying for ACA’s Medicaid expansion? the federal government – or each state?
Plan costs
- Did health insurance premiums go up for 2020? or down? I’m seeing different headlines.
- Were individual-market health plans less expensive before Obamacare?
- I earn just $22,000 a year. How can I afford the out-of-pocket costs of health insurance?
- Is the IRS changing how much I’ll have to pay for my health insurance next year?
- Is it true that policies in the exchange only charge for a maximum of three children on a family plan?
- What is the difference between a medical FSA and an HSA?
- Under the ACA, can I still have an individual HDHP and an HSA?
Eligibility
- Can I use my Medicaid coverage in any state?
- My eligibility for Medicaid depends on whether I’m 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Can you spell out what that means in dollars?
- My employer offers insurance but I think it’s too expensive. Can I apply for a subsidy to help me buy my own insurance?
- If I have insurance through my employer, can my spouse get coverage through the exchanges?
- If I have access to health insurance, can my husband’s company deny me coverage?
- My employer offers coverage to our whole family, but only pays the premiums for my coverage; my kids’ premium is payroll deducted in full. Can I buy individual policies for my children instead?
- If my income is less than expected this year, I might be eligible for Medicaid. What can I do to cover my bases?
- How can American Indians and Alaska Natives get coverage under the ACA? Are there specific plan options for them?
- I’m leaving my job – and my insurance – on June 30. Do I qualify for open enrollment on July 1? or do I have to take COBRA?
- How does my access to employer-sponsored coverage impact my eligibility for subsidized coverage through the exchanges?
- Is Social Security considered income when I’m enrolling in a plan through the exchange?
- I’m a legal U.S. resident but not a citizen. My job doesn’t offer health benefits. Can the ACA help me?
- Is there any chance I will be turned down for coverage by a health insurance exchange?
- Are smokers unable to afford insurance under the ACA?
- I’m 60 and retired. I can get insurance from my former employer but it’s very expensive. Do I qualify for insurance under the exchanges?
- We get health insurance through my job but the coverage isn’t very good. Can I enroll in an exchange plan instead and get a subsidy to help pay for it?
- I’m a low-income single adult but I’ve never qualified for Medicaid before. I’ve heard that I might qualify now. Is this true?
- I will be retiring from my job in August and moving to a new state. Do I have to establish residency there before I can apply for ACA coverage?
Subsidies
- What is the Medicaid ‘coverage gap’ and who does it affect?
- If your income last year was higher than expected, do you have to pay back some of the advance premium tax credits that you received for Marketplace coverage?
- How does the IRS calculate premium tax credits for self-employed people when their AGI depends on their health insurance premium amount?
- How might my tax deductions affect the size of my ACA premium subsidy?
- We’re a family of four with an income of $47,000 a year. What kinds of subsidies are available to help us purchase insurance through the exchanges?
- My wife and I each make about $40,000 a year. If we file our taxes separately, can we each qualify for an exchange subsidy?
- If I get an Obamacare subsidy in the exchange, is the subsidy amount considered income?
- I thought subsidies were available for anyone with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty level but the calculators I’ve used say our family doesn’t qualify. Why?
- We claim our son but not our daughter on our taxes. How are premium subsidies calculated for families like ours?
- I understand that subsidies come in the form of tax credits. But I’m unemployed and probably won’t owe any taxes. How would the subsidy help me?
- Can you explain the ACA cost-sharing subsidy that increases a policy’s actuarial value?
- Can I purchase a Platinum policy and also get a premium subsidy?
- I work part-time. Am I eligible for a premium subsidy to help me buy insurance?
- Would my 21-year-old’s subsidy be based on his income – or mine?
- We’re in a same-sex civil union. Should we calculate our subsidy as a household of two or apply separately?
Coverage mandates
- Is it true that Obamacare’s preventive care mandates only help women?
- Does the IRS still enforce the individual mandate?
- If I decide to gamble and go without insurance, isn’t that my business?
- Who is keeping track of whether I buy health insurance through the exchanges?
- Will every business with more than 50 employees pay a penalty if it doesn’t offer ‘affordable, comprehensive’ insurance?
- I’m self-employed and am hiring employees. Under Obamacare, am I obligated to provide health insurance for them?
- I was laid off and don’t have any income. What are my health insurance coverage options?
Enrollment
- What happens if I don’t make my premium payment by the end of the grace period?
- What are the deadlines to get coverage during Obamacare’s open enrollment period?
- If I don’t enroll in a plan by the open enrollment deadline, what are my options?
- If I’ve enrolled in a plan for new year, can I change my mind and pick a different plan?
- If I qualify for Medicaid, should I worry about the deadline for open enrollment?
- If I enroll in the exchanges, will that coverage take effect immediately?
- If someone decides not to buy health insurance and is injured in accident what happens?
- If I don’t make changes to my plan and just let it auto renew for January, am I stuck with it for the rest of the year?
- My new job will offer health benefits. Can I drop my ACA coverage when those benefits start?
- We’re moving 50 miles but staying in the same state. Is that a qualifying event?
- I purchased health insurance under the Affordable Care Act in Texas but I have moved to Colorado. How do I transfer my coverage?
- How long will it take me to enroll in the exchange?
- My son is covered on my employer’s policy through July 31. Can he enroll in a new plan starting on August 1 or did he need to have purchased a plan during open enrollment?
- Can I buy coverage in the exchange that starts January 1 and stop paying for my COBRA insurance at that point?
- If I sign up for a Bronze plan during open enrollment, can I bump my coverage up to a higher level several months later if I find out that I need surgery?
Medicare
- I am on Medicare and Social Security. My wife is self employed and needs insurance from the state exchange. How do we figure our household income?
- My parents are 68 but recently moved to the U.S., so they don’t qualify for Medicare. Can they buy insurance in the exchange?
Non-ACA coverage
- What happens if I don’t buy ACA-compliant health insurance?
- How does a health savings account (HSA) work?
- If I can’t buy a short-term plan and I don’t have a qualifying event, what are my coverage options?
- What’s the difference between dental insurance and dental discount plans?
- What’s the difference between prescription discount plans and prescription drug insurance?
- Should I be leery of short-term health insurance?
- If I buy a dental insurance plan, what sort of out-of-pocket costs should I expect?
- Is it better for me to pay out of pocket for dental care and not worry about dental insurance?
- Do I need special health insurance when traveling abroad?
- Do student health plans have to cover preventive care at no charge?
Self-employed
- I’m self-employed. Is it better for me to buy health insurance through a broker, or through the exchange?
- Can small businesses use the ACA’s health insurance marketplaces (exchanges)?
Tax-related
- Should I take my ACA premium subsidy during the plan year – or claim it at tax time?
- Where do I find my 1095 tax form?
- Can I deduct my exchange premiums when I file taxes next year?
- If an individual pays for an exchange plan, how do they pay for the premium pre-tax as would someone with an employer plan?
- I’m self-employed. Can my husband deduct his Medicare premiums?
Consumer protections
- Does the Affordable Care Act make it easier to get individual health insurance?
- Can health insurance policies still have lifetime benefit maximums? What about annual benefit maximums?
- I already have great employer-sponsored health insurance that covers my pre-existing conditions. So how does Obamacare help me?
Under 26
- Does Obamacare make my student health plan provide better benefits?
- Do student health policies have to cover birth control without co-pays?
- Should I buy the health plan my college offers? or buy through an ACA exchange?
- Under the ACA, can young adults still remain on their parents’ health plans until age 26?
- My college offers health insurance. Can I purchase coverage through the exchange instead?
- I am a 21-year-old dependent living with my parents. I have no wife or kids, so do I apply for health insurance as a household of one and list only my own income? Or do I have to be on my parents’ insurance?