question about insurance

[notnursezelda]

Hello!

I'm starting nursing school in the fall, (yay!) and I need to have health insurance before hand, plus I also need to have a few physicals + vaccinations done, and I don't want to pay for that all out of pocket.

Do you guys know any pocket friendly insurance plans? (IM ON A SUPER TIGHT BUDGET)

I live in PA if that matters, and I tried for medicare/medicaid, I don't exactly qualify. I had the Womens Health Insurance thing for a while, but it only covered physicals, no sick visits or anything. Then my income level changed and I no longer have it, and I tried Affordable Health Care thinng, and I don't qualify for that either, it would be like over 100 dollars out of pocket, which I can't do.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

The penalty isn't anywhere near that high.

Its $95 per individual, or 1% of income >$10,150; which ever is higher.

https://www.healthcare.gov/what-if-i-dont-have-health-coverage/

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

Actually, the 2014 tax involves the following: $95 per adult and $47.50 per child (up to $285 for a family) or 1% of your taxable income, whichever is greater. This penalty goes up in 2015 and again in 2016. I'm not sure if it will go up again after 2016; time will tell.

Now, keep in mind health insurance is not equal to healthcare. So, while you can use Obamacare as a sign you have health insurance, more and more doctors and hospitals are exercising their freedom to refuse to accept insurance that is associated with Obamacare. So having insurance, and being able to use it are separate issues. Also keep in mind, that in a number of cases, the deductible will be extremely high, so even when you are able to find hospitals and doctors that will accept the insurance, you will still have out extremely high out of pocket expenses.

Your best bet would be to work with an insurance agent who can go over what options you have available. If obamacare makes sense, then go for it through the agent (not the website).

Thank you.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

Now, keep in mind health insurance is not equal to healthcare. So, while you can use Obamacare as a sign you have health insurance, more and more doctors and hospitals are exercising their freedom to refuse to accept insurance that is associated with Obamacare. So having insurance, and being able to use it are separate issues.

Private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid have had the same issue for decades. Providers don't have to accept any insurance.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day, Not_A_Hat_Person:

You are correct. Though from what I've been reading, including from doctors, is that there's a greater rebellion against accepting insurance associated with Obamacare compared to other sources.

Thank you.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

That is very true. I know of many hospitals that won't accept ACA. That will be my downfall if I have to get it. I have been on disability for a few years and am on Medicare. I have a Medicare Gap program but it still covers very little. And god forbid I have to have an expensive medication. My disability will be ending soon and I am afraid with my health conditions the only thing I will qualify for is ACA. The reason why I thought it was so high to pay the fine is because my friend didn't have health insurance for a long time and when she did her taxes the tax guy told her if she didn't get it this year what her fine would be and it was around that amount. And she makes less than $6000 a year. She made too much to qualify for Medicaid. If the fine is only $95 where is the incentive for people to get insurance I wonder.

But this person should absolutely have health insurance. There is no such thing as free health insurance. Even Medicaid has copays. She could get it for herself through the school but seems like she is making an excuse not to pay for it because her husband wouldn't be covered. Neither one has had insurance and having it for her would be much better than neither. If something catastrophic happens to her guess who pays for it if she has no insurance? The taxpayers. That's where I have a whole big problem with this thread.

[notnursezelda]

wow thank you guys for all the responses suggestions. hopefully i ll have something by the end of this month :)

[elkpark]

What's all this about providers "not accepting Obamacare"?? AFAIK, the ACA is all about (unfortunately) buying private insurance from private insurance companies, the same as before, but now people are required to, which they weren't before (and expansion of Medicaid in the civilized states). Do the insurance cards from the private companies and Medicaid cards now come with "OBAMACARE" stamped on them in big red letters or something? How would a provider know whether your insurance is purchased through an exchange, provided through your employer, or you just found the card lying on the street???

My experience over the decades has been that getting the insurance company to "accept" your provider of choice is a much bigger concern than getting the provider to "accept" your insurance. When providers won't "accept" insurance, that's typically because they are not on that insurance company's panel of providers, not because they have any opinion one way or the other about the insurance.

[TLizS]

ACA is new/different plans under these insurance companies...they can choose to accept the coverage from certain plans and not the ACA plans. It is indeed an issue....just last week I was shopping around for a cardiologist on our insurance plan (provided by my husbands employer....not an ACA plan) that had available appointments in the near future...every office that I called asked if our place was from the ACA exchange or a private plan.

If Blue cross Blue shield is an option in your stat you could try them....we used to have a plan for both of our kids through them because insurance through my husbands employer was super high at that time...great coverage and paid around $85 a month their customer service was terrific too.....this was several years ago but it's worth looking into

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

The difference between the past and Obamacare, elkpark, aside from being forced like slaves to buy something whether you want it, need it, etc. That includes being wealth redistribution by being forced to pay for coverage areas completely unnecessary that will never be used. And just like the growing VA scandal that outright proves our government cannot run healthcare, Obamacare does include death panels/rationing.

While elkpark is correct that Obamacare provided insurance doesn't include the words "OBAMACARE" stamped on the card, what elkpark does not share is that the hospitals and doctors do know and can verify whether the coverage is a part of OBAMACARE or not. There are growing numbers of doctors and hospitals who are outright refusing to accept any insurance associated with OBAMACARE. That is an outright fact that will remain a fact until the government tries to to take away their freedom like the democrats (not a single republican voted for Obamacare) took away our freedom of choice (the freedom to either have insurance or not, or to purchase insurance WE believe is quality).

What tesouthern, shared -- "every office that I called asked if our place was from the ACA exchange or a private plan" is common. You get what you pay for, and if you have the gall to think you can steal it (which is what wealth redistribution involves - THEFT) -- you are going to have problems. Especially when doctors and hospitals can still exercise freedom in America for which I applaud them!

Thank you.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

Doctors and hospitals have always had the freedom to not accept certain insurance plans, or any insurance plans.

I recently signed my kids up for Obamacare. Yes, my kids are on Medicaid. I see no reason to apologize or be ashamed for using a system that I've paid into for over 25 years. Anyway, once they were signed up (which was extremely hard), providers have treated us like any other patient. The few snags we've run into have been the same ones we faced with private insurance.

ACA may not be *the* solution to America's systemic health care problems, but it's *a* solution. My daughter needed surgery soon after birth. Surgery plus a 6-week hospital stay cost twice the value of my home. Without surgery, she would've died within days. Without ACA, my family would either have to pay through the nose for my employer's plan or go bankrupt.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day, Not_A_Hat_Person:

I'm sorry for what you and your family had to go through; and, I'm also glad there was a way to help your daughter. Our own daughter was on medicaid (prior to Obamacare) for a period of time.

From what I've read, about 8% of the people are happy with Obamacare; and actually, find that it is helpful. Others, not so much. We can, as a nation, do far better than a 100% partisan solution that outright robs one group of people in order to subsidize another group of people.

Since President Obama and the fellow democrats involved knowingly lied about "keep your doctor period," "keep your health plan period" and each family will save at least "$2,500.00 annually" on insurance I don't see Obamacare getting better. You typically don't build a firm foundation on outright lies. Given what our veterans are going through the the VA scandal President Obama knew about since at least 2008, we are just getting a picture of how bad ObamaCare can become over time. Yes, that's what happens with cover ups and lies.

Yes, there are going to be people who outright need that care (and should have a way to get it -- with or without Obamacare), but in the mean time, there are many being hurt (lies typically don't heal; they destroy).

Thank you.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

So what would you suggest as an alternative?