Posts by tag
metal plans
How I sought to stop worrying and love a Bronze plan
May 16, 2022 – For older enrollees with average-to-high income and some savings, low premium plans with high deductibles usually make…
The case for switching from Bronze to Silver
March 31, 2022 – The American Rescue Plan's subsidies made about 4.6 million Americans eligible for a free benchmark Silver health plan. Here's why it would…
Is Obamacare’s ‘Bronze trap’ widening?
August 12, 2015 – Jed Graham says the ACA's tax penalty for remaining uninsured will force low-income Americans into high-deductible Bronze plans that will…
When Silver is worth more than Gold or Platinum
June 12, 2015 – Many Silver plan buyers in 2015 had actuarial values as high as 88% or 94% – higher than most employer-sponsored health…
Santa, we need CSR subsidies for Bronze plans
December 21, 2014 – For low-income people Bronze plans are very rarely appropriate because the out-of-pocket costs are likely to be so high. Cost-sharing…
The Affordable Care Act’s ‘stealth subsidy’
December 3, 2014 – The Chicago Tribune devoted a whole feature to the plight of low-income buyers of high-deductible Bronze plans in Illinois without once…
Bruised by the benchmark
December 2, 2014 – The volatility stems from the fact that subsidies, calculated to leave a buyer paying a fixed percentage of her income for monthly…
Could Copper be ACA’s new precious metal?
November 19, 2014 – For some consumers, Copper plans could be just right. This is particularly true among healthy people who don't qualify for subsidies and…
ACA critics play the ‘rating game’ but it isn’t working
October 22, 2014 – Last spring, when it was obvious that Obamacare was meeting its enrollment targets for the first year, opponents of the law needed some new…
Why your ACA health plan wasn’t cancelled
September 26, 2014 – Robert Graboyes says "it sounds odd" that actuarial value (AV) requirements will cause repeated policy cancellations. It "sounds odd"…
Introducing a new ‘metal’ tier: Fool’s Gold?
May 6, 2014 – Does the health insurance industry really think that Americans are desperate for a return to policies with sky-high deductibles and scanty…
Enrollment: ‘Beating the clock’ isn’t enough
March 17, 2014 – With just two weeks remaining before the window slams shut on the Affordable Care Act's open enrollment period, unquestionably, the best…