Obamacare continues to squeeze more familybudgets - so what's the answer

More families are having their budgets busted by Obamacare. This New York family is really feeling the pinch as their premium increased 100%. What they should have done is call 770-530-4926 for a consultation and evaluation of their current health insurance plan.

Ignoring the Health Insurance Tax (or penalty as some call it)

I get asked all the time, "does your plan meet the ACA standards so I won't have to pay the penalty?" To which I respond, "NO".

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Their initial response is typical. "then why would I buy a policy from you?". We then begin to look at the total out of pocket their on the hook for with an ObamaCare plan versus one of my plans.

Just this week I enrolled an engineer who had the same question. He was about to re-enroll with his carrier and absorb a $400 increase in his monthly premium, paying $1100 now versus $1500 in January. After assembling a quote for him we were able to get him a similar but yet slightly better plan for about $980 a month with only $3000 deductible for the entire family. His original deductible was $6000.

Simple math illustrates that he is saving a total of $7800 a year with the plan I was proposing. His penalty would be about $3000 which left him with a surplus of $4800. It doesn't take a genius to figure out which plan to go with.

Granted, not everyone may get this big a savings when switching over to US Health, but I recommend that you look at the entire financial picture before you make your decision. Look very closely at all the details of your ObamaCare plan; RX deductibles, total family deductibles, lifetime amount of the certificate being issued (ours is 5 million), access to doctors, many today won't treat you if you have Obamacare (going out of network to see a doctor is costly)

It's worth your time to get your proposed health insurance analyzed to see what you're truly getting versus other options... schedule a FREE consultation to see what you may be eligible for.

Don't Qualify for Health Insurance Subsidy?

No everyone will qualify for health insurance subsidies. Just today I was advising a young Hispanic gentleman. He informed me that he was getting a much better quote from healthcare.gov. At first I couldn't believe what he was quoting me. So I proceeded to do a "screen share" with him so he could follow along with me as we built a plan for his family. Sure enough he was quoted $145 a month with a $2700 dollar deductible. Not bad. But that was with a $350 subsidy. But as a took a loser look at the details of the plan they were about to choose I noticed that the were being limited to the doctors they could see and that they also had a $1000 deductible for prescriptions. Not only that it did not cover his kids. He was informed that his 2 kids would probably qualify for Medicaid due to his projected income for 2015. Bottom line, he was going to spend a lot more than $2700 out of pocket and most doctors wouldn't see him What I proposed for him to do was to select a plan that would allow him to see any doctor he wanted and go to any facility and be part of the largest PPO in the country. His total out of pocket liability would be $3000 annually for his entire family. and he would be guaranteed to not get a rate increase for 36 months. At that time he would see a modest increase but would then have his rate guaranteed for another 36 months

5 Big Changes Health Insurance Shopper Should Know About

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – November 11, 2014 – Today eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH – eHealthInsurance.com), the nation’s first and largest private online health insurance exchange, identified five key differences between the 2014 and 2015 Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment periods that all health insurance shoppers should know about before they decide whether or not to shop for 2015 coverage.

The ACA’s 2015 open enrollment period is scheduled to begin on November 15, 2014 and continue through February 15, 2015. For many consumers, this open enrollment period may be their only chance to apply for premium subsidies and enroll in the major medical individual and family health insurance coverage they need for 2015.

“Whether you’re already covered or currently uninsured, we recommend that you look at your coverage options for 2015 during the upcoming open enrollment period,” said Gary Matalucci, eHealth’s Vice President of Customer Care. “The fact is, doing nothing during this open enrollment period could cost you a lot of money. If you don’t review your coverage options for 2015, you could lose out on subsidies, face serious tax penalties, or get stuck for an entire year with a health insurance plan that may not meet your personal coverage needs.”

Five Things Health Insurance Shoppers Need to Know About What’s Changing for 2015

1. You may have some new plans to choose from for 2015. A few brand-name insurance companies that stayed out of the individual and family health insurance market last year will be offering plans for 2015. Other insurers will also be introducing new health insurance plans. Open enrollment is your chance to make sure that you still have the ACA-compliant health plan that’s best suited to your individual coverage needs and budget. It only takes a few minutes to review your options for 2015 when you shop through a licensed online marketplace like eHealth.

2. The monthly premiums for your current plan may increase next year. While monthly premiums for some 2015 plans are still being announced, a 5.6% average increase in monthly premiums for individual coverage has been projected by PwC¹. That’s just a projected average. Some people could see rates on their current plan go down, while others could see rates increase even more than 20%, according to PwC. If you’re already insured, expect to hear from your insurer soon about your 2015 premiums. Be sure to shop around to make sure you’re still getting the most out of your health insurance dollars.

3. Your eligibility for government health insurance subsidies may change. The ACA makes government subsidies available to people who earn up to 400% of the federal poverty level (about $47,000 for a single person or $95,000 for family of four²). If your income has changed since last open enrollment, it’s time to re-examine your eligibility for a subsidy. You may no longer be eligible for one, or you may be eligible for a bigger subsidy in 2015. Depending on the preferences you communicated when applying last time, your subsidy could actually decrease or vanish entirely, even if you stick with the same plan next year.

4. The “benchmark” plan in your area may change, with serious consequences. The “benchmark” plan in your area is a silver-level plan used to calibrate the value of any government health insurance subsidies you may receive. Since the benchmark plan is the second-least expensive silver plan available to you, and since rates are changing and new plans are being introduced, the benchmark plan in your area may change too. This means that the value and dollar amount of your subsidies can change, even if you don’t change plans in 2015. Reshop during open enrollment to make sure you’re not missing out.

5. The tax penalties for going uninsured or underinsured are increasing for 2015. Tax season for the 2014 tax year is still a few months away, so many consumers haven’t felt the pinch of ACA tax penalties yet. In 2014 the penalty for going three months or more without ACA-compliant coverage was $95 per adult or 1% of your annual income, whichever is greater. Next year these penalties are going to increase substantially to $325 per adult or 2% of your taxable income, whichever is greater. Avoid the penalty for 2015 by taking advantage of the open enrollment period to enroll in coverage.

Paying the tax penalty may be very well worth it if you are able to purchase insurance that reduces your out of pocket liability annually and over the lifetime of the policy. Consider a plan that will lock in your rates for an extended period and is also structured to minimize your deductible in case of hospitalization. Being hospitalized is the major cause for an expensive medical bill. Take a close look at the option to upgrade your coverage in the middle of a claim so that your benefits may increase thereby paying more of the bill as well as carrying critical illness insurance.

Schedule an appointment to speak to a health insurance advisor to get help navigating this process. US Health Insurance Advisor

Top 5 reason why currently insured should shop around for health insurance during open enrollment

Today eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH – eHealthInsurance.com), the nation’s first and largest private online health insurance exchange, published its top five reasons why even consumers who already have health insurance may wish to reshop for new 2015 health plans during the upcoming open enrollment period.Read More...

Changing Your Plan During Open Enrollment

You can change your plan during ObamaCare’s health insurance marketplace open enrollment. You’ll have to switch your plan or keep your plan by Jan 1st. This is true no matter when you enrolled in your marketplace health plan. In most cases you will get a notice letting you know whether your plan will automatically renew or not and whether or not you have to take action. Read more... Consider another option before you keep your current plan or switch to Obamacare.Switch to a better Plan...

Is this the Beginning of the end for Obamacare?

The president’s signature legislation is facing a new Supreme Court challenge. If successful, the majority of states that did not establish state-based health insurance exchanges would be free of IRS penalties on their employers and individuals. Read More.

ObamaCare Premiums May Rise as Much as 20%

People shopping for health insurance under Obamacare starting this weekend can expect insurance premiums to be an average of 5.6 percent higher than last year, although that average reflects changes to premiums that will fall in some cases, and rise as much as 20 percent in others, according to a private estimate. In one state, Colorado, premiums are expected to jump 35 percent for some plans, according to an analysis by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Read More.

ObamaCare Architect You Should Know

Jonathan Gruber, the MIT professor who has touted the “stupidity of the American voter” as a reason why Obamacare passed, was paid $400,000 in July to advise Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin (D) on how to finance a government-run health care system in that state. According to Watchdog.org, Shumlin’s office announced in July that it would pay that amount for advice on how to proceed. But the website said Shumlin’s office has declined to reveal anything about its plans for nearly two years. Read More.

ObamaCare Enrollment 2.0

Bringing new people on — which is key to keeping insurers in the program and stabilizing the new markets — willbe harder than in year one. The individuals who were most eager to get coverage have already done so, and the remaining uninsured population knows remarkably little about what the law offers. About 90 percent don’t know open enrollment begins this month, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. More For more options go to Get a quote for better health insurance.

Over 214,000 Doctors will not participate in ACA Plans in 2015

Over 214,000 doctors won't participate in the new plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA,) analysis of a new survey by Medical Group Management Association shows. That number of 214,524, estimated by American Action Forum, is through May 2014, but appears to be growing due to plans that force doctors to take on burdensome costs. It's also about a quarter of the total number of 893,851 active professional physicians reported by the Kaiser Family Foundation. In January, an estimated 70% of California's physicians were not participating in Covered California plans. Here are some of the reasons why: 1. Reimbursements under Obamacare are at bottom-dollar - they are even lower than Medicare reimbursements, which are already significantly below market rates. "It is estimated that where private plans pay $1.00 for a service, Medicare pays $0.80, and ACA exchange plans are now paying about $0.60," a study by the think-tank American Action Forum finds. "For example, Covered California plans are setting their plan fee schedules in line with that of Medi-Cal-California's Medicaid Program-which means exchange plans are cutting provider reimbursement by up to 40 percent." 2. Doctors are expected to take on more patients to make up for the lost revenue, but that's not happening, because primary care doctors already have more patients than they can handle. "Furthermore, physicians are worried that exchange plan patients will be sicker than the average patient because they may have been without insurance for extended periods of time, and therefore will require more of the PCPs time at lower pay," says the study. The study also points to two reasons that doctors might not get paid at all: 3. An MGMA study indicates that 75% of ACA patients that had seen doctors had chosen plans with high deductibles. Given that most of the patients are low-income, doctors are concerned that the patients cannot meet the deductibles and they will get stuck with the bill. 4. HHS requires that insurers cover customers for an additional 90 days after they have stopped paying their premiums: the insurer covers the first 30 - but, it's up to the doctor to recoup payment for the last 60 days. This is the number one reason providers are opting to not participate in the exchange plans. Currently, about a million people have failed to pay their premiums and had their plans canceled. So, Obamacare is asking doctors to take on sicker patients for less money, with the risk of not getting paid at all? No wonder doctors are running from these plans!

Impact of Affordable Care Act: Health Care Costs Down -

"According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), often referred to as "Obamacare," will cut the federal budget deficit by a $100 billion. That despite adding health coverage for about 10 million people, by federal estimates. Paul Van de Water, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, says the reform has been able to do this because it's had real success at one of its key goals: holding down the cost of health care." This statement fails to mention that one of the factors that make up "cost" are the premiums that consumers pay as well as co-pays. Yes, many of the Obamacare plans have lower premiums and have forced insurance companies to keep their premiums artificially lower for the last 2 years. Starting in 2015 we will see the insurance companies defy the Obama administration and raise the rates to reflect the actual market conditions. Premiums reflect the cost of keeping people insured. If more people are insured that would normally not get coverage, due to their condition that the insurers would consider "risky" or "expensive", then rates in a free market would naturally rise to offset this cost. That's what will happen in 2015. So this statement is a bit premature since it only factors in the results of the last 2 years. Let's compare those 2 years to the next 2 years. Premiums will continue to rise as well as deductibles. As subscribers to Obamacare plans learn that more doctors will be refusing to serve them the backlash will be seen more readily.

Questions About Reshopping for Health Insurance During Open Enrollment

Today eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) (eHealthInsurance.com), the nation's first and largest private online health insurance exchange, released answers to questions commonly asked by subsidy-eligible health insurance consumers who want to maintain coverage for 2015 and avoid the potential loss of any premium subsidies they may be due next year. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, created specific open enrollment periods during which eligible consumers can sign up for individual and family major medical health insurance and apply for subsidy assistance. The first-ever open enrollment period ended March 31, 2014. Since that date, consumers have only been able to enroll in major medical health insurance on their own if they experienced a qualifying life event (like marriage, the birth of a child, a move, etc.). The second nationwide open enrollment period is scheduled to begin November 15, 2014 and continue through February 15, 2015. For many consumers, this may be the only opportunity to enroll in major medical coverage and try to avoid the ACA tax penalty for 2015. In order to help subsidy-eligible consumers better understand how to get the most for their health insurance dollars in 2015, eHealth has released answers to the following common questions. Answers to Consumer Questions About Subsidies and Major Medical Health Insurance Coverage for 2015 Question: How do government health insurance subsidies work? Answer: The ACA provides government-funded subsidies to help reduce monthly health insurance premiums for qualifying persons. Consumers may qualify for subsidies if they have an annual household income between 133% and 400% of the federal poverty level (up to about $46,000 for a single person in the contiguousUnited States, or $95,000 for a family of four). The dollar value of the subsidies you receive will depend on where your income falls within that range and on the cost of "benchmark" health plans in your area. Since subsidies are based on your estimated income for the current year, the amount of subsidies you qualify for may fluctuate depending on changes to your actual income. Any discrepancies in the subsidies you received and the subsidies you were actually due are reconciled when you complete your federal tax return for the year. Question: If I enroll in a new plan during open enrollment, when can my coverage start? Answer: The new open enrollment period is for 2015 health insurance plans only. During open enrollment, coverage under any new plan you select can begin no sooner than January 1, 2015, at the earliest. Question: I already have coverage. Am I required to apply for health insurance again during this open enrollment period? Answer: You are not required to enroll in a new plan for 2015, unless your insurance company or licensed agent tells you otherwise, but reshopping during open enrollment -- especially if you used a government subsidy in 2014 or may qualify for a subsidy in 2015 -- could save you money, and you may find a new plan better suited to your personal coverage needs. Question: Am I going to lose my health insurance subsidies for 2015 if I don't reshop during open enrollment? Answer: The answer depends on your personal circumstances. When you first applied for a subsidy, did you give permission for your tax records to be accessed so that your subsidy could be automatically updated each year? If the answer is yes, and if your income hasn't changed much and plan prices in your area do not change significantly, you'll probably continue to receive the same subsidy as long as you remain in the same plan. If your income has increased to over 500% of the federal poverty level (about $58,000 for a single person in the contiguous United States, or $119,000 for a family of four) your subsidy will end after December 31, 2014 unless you re-apply for a one and enroll in a new plan for 2015. Likewise, if you received a subsidy in 2014 and did not give permission for your tax records to be accessed for the purposes of updating your subsidy, your subsidy will also endDecember 31, 2014, unless you re-enroll. Question: Make it easy for me. Who should shop for health insurance during open enrollment, and who shouldn't? Answer: Here's a simple breakdown of who should shop or reshop for health insurance during open enrollment, and who may not need to. Find the category that best describes your personal situation: "I am currently uninsured:" Don't let open enrollment pass you by! This may be your only chance to get health insurance coverage for yourself and your family for 2015. You may even be eligible for subsidies to make your coverage more affordable. "I am no longer happy with my current health insurance plan:" Anyone no longer happy with their current health insurance plan should take advantage of open enrollment to look at their coverage options. There may be other plans that are better suited to your medical or financial needs or that cover the doctors and hospitals you prefer to see. "I am a subsidy recipient who gave permission for my tax information to be accessed but my income has changed:" When you completed your application last year you may have given permission for your tax information to be accessed for the purpose of updating your subsidy eligibility this year. If that's the case, and if your income has changed, you should reshop and re-enroll in coverage during this open enrollment period. Depending on how your income changed, your subsidies may be scheduled to end after December 31, 2014 unless you take action. It's also possible that you may be due more subsidies in 2015 than you are currently receiving. "I am a subsidy recipient who gave permission for my tax information to be accessed and my income has not changed:" You may still want to reshop during open enrollment because it's possible your coverage options may change even if your personal circumstances haven't. For example, if the "benchmark" health insurance plan in your area has changed, it could alter the value of your subsidy for 2015. And just because your favorite doctor is in your coverage network for 2014 doesn't mean that he or she will also be in-network for 2015. "I am a subsidy recipient who did not give permission for my tax information to be accessed in order to update my subsidies:" Your subsidies will end afterDecember 31, 2014 unless you take action. If you believe you are still entitled to subsidies in 2015, you must reshop, apply for a subsidy again, and enroll in a plan for 2015. "I did not receive subsidies in 2014 but think I may qualify for them in 2015:" If you think you may be eligible for subsidies to help make your monthly premiums more affordable, take advantage of open enrollment to apply for subsidies and enroll in a plan for 2015. "I will not qualify for subsidies in 2015:" If you're happy with your current plan, you shouldn't need to take any action unless advised to do so by your health insurance company or licensed agent. However, there are new plans available in 2015 and it's always a good idea to take a fresh look at your coverage options once per year. Unless you experience a qualifying life event (like a move, marriage, birth of a child, or other event) open enrollment may be your only chance to change your health plan for 2015. Question: Am I going to lose coverage under my current plan if I don't reshop during open enrollment? Answer: No, you should not lose coverage under your current ACA-compliant health insurance plan in 2015, unless your insurance company or licensed agent informs you otherwise. Here's a possible exception: your insurance company may decide to stop offering your plan. If that happens, they will probably advise you of other plans you may wish to consider. You should also work with a licensed online agent like eHealth to review plans from multiple insurers and make sure you find the best match for your needs. Question: Last year I got my health insurance plan and subsidies through the online government exchange. Do I need to reshop through the government exchange again for 2015? Answer: A lot of consumers expressed frustration with their experience of the government-run health insurance exchanges during the last open enrollment period. The good news is that you may have other options, even if you're eligible for subsidies. Licensed private health insurance marketplaces like eHealth can help. At eHealth, consumers from most states can apply for subsidies and enroll in coverage in precisely the same health insurance plans available through their government exchange. Question: Why should I shop for my 2015 health insurance plan through eHealth rather than through the government exchange? Answer: When you shop with eHealth during open enrollment you may benefit in the following ways: eHealth makes it simple to shop for coverage and enroll in the plan of your choice. With more than fifteen years of expertise, eHealth understands how consumers like you want to shop for health insurance. We're always improving our website and shopping tools to make it easier -- and faster -- to find the coverage you need. eHealth offers a broader range of coverage options. The health insurance plans offered through government exchanges may only represent a fraction of the coverage choices available to you. You may have other options that will also meet your coverage requirements under the ACA and protect you from a tax penalty. eHealth is your best source for selection, representing over 200 brand-name insurers nationwide. eHealth may be able to help you apply for government subsidies. Subsidies are available for qualifying shoppers, depending on your income and other criteria. Subsidy-eligible consumers in most states can apply for government help through eHealth and then enroll in the very same health plans (at the same prices) that are offered through government exchanges. eHealth provides personal advice and ongoing advocacy. The customer service representatives available to help you at government exchanges aren't usually licensed agents and probably can't provide you with personal advice about your coverage choices. At eHealth, our unbiased, licensed agents make all the difference when it comes to your long-term satisfaction. Even after you enroll, eHealth can continue to serve as your advocate with the insurance company. eHealth is a total coverage marketplace. There's more to "coverage" than just health insurance -- which is what government exchanges are mostly limited to. By contrast, at eHealth you can also find dental and vision insurance, as well as products like short-term insurance, travel insurance, and accident or critical illness insurance. eHealth has all you need to craft a total coverage package for yourself or your family. Question: What happens if I miss the open enrollment period? Answer: If you miss the ACA open enrollment period for 2015 you may run the risk of going uninsured -- or being stuck in your current plan -- for all of 2015. Outside of open enrollment, you may only be able to enroll in a major medical individual or family plan when you experience a qualifying life event such as marriage, the birth of a child, or a move to a new city or state. So don't let open enrollment pass you by without taking a look at your eligibility for a subsidy and your coverage choices for 2015. You'll be glad you did. For additional information on subsidies, re-enrollment and the Affordable Care Act, consumers can visit eHealth's new Subsidy Help Center, a dedicated consumer resource center providing educational information, videos, and tools designed to help subsidy-eligible consumers navigate open enrollment and get the health insurance subsidies they may be due next year. About eHealth eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ: EHTH) operates eHealthInsurance.com, the Nation's first and largest private health insurance exchange where individuals, families and small businesses can compare health insurance products from leading insurers side by side and purchase and enroll in coverage online. eHealthInsurance offers thousands of individual, family and small business health plans underwritten by more than 200 of the nation's leading health insurance companies. eHealthInsurance is licensed to sell health insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. eHealth, Inc. also provides powerful online and pharmacy-based tools to help Medicare beneficiaries navigate Medicare health insurance options, choose the right plan and enroll in select plans online through PlanPrescriber.com (www.planprescriber.com) and eHealthMedicare.com (www.eHealthMedicare.com). For more health insurance news and information, visit the eHealth consumer blog:Get Smart - Get Covered or visit eHealth's Affordable Care Act Resource Center atwww.eHealth.com/affordable-care-act. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the open enrollment period for individual and family health insurance and eHealth's ability to assist consumers in applying for subsidies and health insurance plans during the open enrollment period. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, eHealth's ability to maintain its relationships with insurance carriers and its ability to offer qualified health insurance plans; insurance carriers gaining approval to market health plans and providing eHealth permission to display them on eHealth's website; eHealth's ability to obtain health plan information and incorporate it into its web platform; eHealth's ability to enter into and maintain relationships with government exchanges; the Federal government's willingness and capability to resolve issues with eHealth's integration with healthcare.gov; the ability of eHealth's Internet platform and technology to interact with government exchanges; eHealth's ability to successfully integrate with healthcare.gov and other government exchanges; eHealth's ability to timely meet requirements to sell qualified health insurance plans and assist individuals in applying for subsidies; potential changes in laws, regulations and regulatory guidance; and any changes to the Affordable Care Act and related regulations and rules. Other risks and uncertainties that can affect actual results are included under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in eHealth's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 and most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which are on file with the SEC and are available on the investor relations page of eHealth's website athttp://www.ehealthinsurance.com and on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no duty to update this information unless required by law.

Despite being eligible for subsidies from Affordable Care Act's Health Insurance Marketplace, many Texans still believe coverage is too expensive

Half of Texans who are eligible for premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and who looked for health plans in the ACA's Health Insurance Marketplace said cost was the main reason they didn't enroll in a plan. That's just one of the findings in a report released by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation. The report specifically looked at lower- to middle-income families in Texas who don't have access to health insurance through an employer and who earn too much to qualify for public programs. That group includes approximately 2 million uninsured Texans and is a key target population of the ACA. The report found that virtually all of the target population knew about the ACA Marketplace and the available subsidies for health insurance premiums. In addition, the report found that one-third of those aware of the marketplace looked for information on health insurance plans. Another one-third planned to look for that information in the future. However, many Texans who looked for plans in the ACA Marketplace still didn't enroll in a health insurance plan. The report found half of those who did not enroll said costs were the main reason - either costs were too high or they didn't have enough money to enroll at that time. The report is the sixth in a series on the implementation of the ACA in Texas. It was co-authored by Elena Marks, the president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation and a health policy scholar at the Baker Institute, and Vivian Ho, the chair in health economics at the Baker Institute, a professor of economics at Rice and a professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. "The affordability of Health Insurance Marketplace plans, even with subsidies, has been an open question from the outset," Marks said. "Perceptions about affordability may be preventing some Texans from enrolling in a plan. The intense, politically charged dialogue around the ACA in the state may have created misconceptions about the costs." Uninsured Texans may also think health coverage is too expensive because the cost is new to them, the report found. Even with subsidies, some families still would pay some amount for coverage - an added expense, regardless of the amount, not previously part of the family budget. Also, the report found there's evidence many uninsured don't value health insurance or believe they can still use charity care programs that offer free or discounted medical care on a pay-as-you-go basis. As the report showed, most of the uninsured knew about the ACA Marketplace and two-thirds looked, or planned to look, for information on health insurance plans. However, the report also discovered 29 percent not only hadn't looked for marketplace information, they also didn't plan to look for information in the future. "Many of those who didn't buy insurance will pay a penalty of $95 or 1 percent of income on their 2014 tax return," Ho said. "That penalty rises to $695 or 2.5 percent of income in 2016, which will likely lead to more people enrolling in coming years." The Health Reform Monitoring Survey (HRMS)-Texas report is based on a national project that provides timely information on implementation issues under the Affordable Care Act and changes in health insurance coverage and related health outcomes. The Episcopal Health Foundation and Baker Institute are partnering to fund studies of and report on key factors about Texans obtained from an expanded representative sample of Texas residents. Today's report contains responses from 1,595 Texans in September 2013 and 1,538 in March 2014. The survey was developed by the Urban Institute, conducted by the company GfK and jointly funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Urban Institute.

Have you made plans for your Health Insurance deductible?

I've been browsing some of the comments from Twitters that I'm following, particularly the healthcare related ones. Many of the accounts dealing with the ACA are very complimentary and are actually bragging about how the country is so much better off now with millions more Americans able to afford insurance. I would have to say that it is a much better place because fellow Americans now have some form of health insurance. One of my prospective clients is considering an Obamacare plan for his ex-wife becuase he is now paying over $750 a month just for her. This is partly due to the fact that she has been diagnosed with hepatitis. If not for the insurance her medication would cost him another $1500/month. I have been assisting him in finding a more affordable plan for her without losing the prescription benefit. So far, no luck. There are certainly more affordable plans on healthcare.gov but that's all you can say about them. In this case, he could cut his monthly premium in half but the medication is not covered. His motivation for trying to find an option for her now is that his divorce decree stipulates that in one more year she will be responsbile for paying the insurance premium. He doesn't like the idea of her not being able to afford a decent plan on her own. His other dilemna is the deductible. For her to get ample coverage she would need to take on a $6300 deductible. OUCH! I would venture to say that a lot more Americans are facing the same dilemna. Yeah, get insurance now, but how do I pay for the deductible later? Most bankruptcies in this country consist of $15000 in medical bills. So definitely, deductibles are causing havoc on most families budgets. However, very few seem to consider how they're going to pay for this bill when it comes. It seems that in the past most were willing to play Russian roulette just to get affordable coverage. Time to pay the piper folks. Your health insurance deductible is not something to take lightly. Your best option is to research and find a plan that will minimize your deductible while providing supplemental coverage that provides a cash benefit to you that will help offset the deductible. For more information on this option visit www.ushagent.com/luiscastillo and request a quote. It will only take a few minutes to see if you qualify for one of the best plans in the country that offers you coverage with zero deductible and a 3 year lock on your rate.

Rising Premiums

A recent article addressed the latest concerns of Floridians and their health insurance. Insurance carriers are expected to increase premiums an average of 15% for 2015. In addition many who have enrolled through the exchanges are now finding out that doctors are no longer accepting patients with insurance issued through the Obamacare exchanges due to the dropping reimbursement rates. As Americans begin to use their new insurance many are in for a rude awakening. What is hurting most is the huge deductible they will face when hospitalization is incurred. The subsidy that is provided my lure many in to the exchanges but the out of pocket expense will drive many into financial ruin. One of the first inconvenient attributes of Obamacare insurance is the lack of doctors. Some people are having to drive over an hour to find a doctor. Among these many may not have a doctor for very long or be able to get in to be seen. One segment of the country that is really feeling the pinch are the self-employed. Most are unaware of any options available to them. Used to risk takers and constantly living without the guarantee of a paycheck, the cost of health insurance is their #1 concern. So what are the clever ones doing these days. They are choosing to go with a little known but capable insurance company called US Health. What they're finding is flexibility to design a plan that fits their health needs as well as their budget. They're finding that when compared to Obamacare they can get a plan that has no annual deductible, first dollar coverage for outpatient visits, access to any doctor and any hospital (but save more when they stay in network), lock in their rates for up to 3 years, flexible plan options, portable coverage, and 24 hour coverage on or of the job. Even is you're currently getting insurance through your employer US Health is worth looking at. If your fairly good health then have them propose a plan that will meet your need and then quote you a price. You can get a free quote at any time and get personallized service throughout the whole process.