| | | OT - It is that healthcare insurance time of the year again. I have seen on a Facebook page for locals here,
that a few have complained about their premiums going up 30/35%. I had promised the wife that I would help
one of her old schoolmates and her husband, who now live in South Carolina, check out Healthcare.gov. They
have not had insurance since he retired in June of 2016. Our income for 2018 will be $63,000, theirs $34,000.
By this morning I was pretty sure they could get covered for free. I found what state you are in can make a big
difference.
Opinions on our healthcare don't matter, because it is what it is until it gets changed. I am a firm believer
that I don't get to make the rules, but whatever I can do legally to reduce my taxes/payments is fair game
because nobody asked me. :)
Knowing the cut off is $68,000 ( last year, I didn't check this year ), I currently have no dividend stocks in our
taxable account. It is a hard cut off. You cross it, you pay full fare. By 59, we had put back six CDs of $20,000
each to cover health insurance costs, until we reached Medicare. At current costs, that wouldn't have come close.
Since I knew they were coming this morning, I warmed up by checking Healthcare.gov for us yesterday. We
had a silver policy through Geisinger last year. They are not offering the same policy on The Market this year.
Last years cost was $282.32 a month on a $2423.32 a month policy. They sent us a letter telling us that the
same policy would be $1,190.80 a month on a $3,331.80 a month policy cost. I think it is "part of the game"
to not offer the policy again on the market, and send out the notice. Maybe some will just continue on.
After I enter all our info, I find that in Pa. "financial help" has gone from $2.141.00 to $3160.00.
Why? I have no idea.
We are offered two bronze plans. Geisinger HMO ( what we had, but silver ) from $2162 a month /
$12,200 deductible ( family ), max $14,750 out of pocket. ( All plans are $14,750 max out of pocket. ) PPO
from Capitol Blue Cross $2758.48 a month / $14,700 deductible. Both would be free to us.
Two silver plans. Geisinger HMO we would pay $171.80 a month / $9,300 deductible. Blue Cross
PPO - we would pay $956.06 a month / $10,000 deductible.
Two Gold plans. Blue Cross - we would pay $590.96 a month / $4000 deductible. Geisinger HMO - we
pay nothing / $6,000 deductible. Our family doctor is in the Geisinger network, not in Blue Cross network.
Just curious if anyone would not take the free gold plan, and/or can figure out a rhyme or reason?
So I am excited to help the wife's friend out with free healthcare. Then I come to find out that if you live in
South Carolina you only get $2,200 of "financial help", even though your income is half of the cut off. Their
cheapest silver plan is $210 a month, and the old man says he isn't paying that. In SC, even the bronze
plans come with a cost. They are offered four at $5.34 to $5.46 a month. They went with the one with the
lowest deductible, $5.39 a month. I guess catastrophic insurance for $65 a year is better than no insurance
at all. I'll say, the wife was elated to have something. |
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