Taking advantage of Health Care Reform, a practical guide...

[Cleobulus]

Tip #1: Take a paycut, or quit your job and try to get on Medicaid.

Tip #2: Try to pressure your employer to stop offering crappy health insurance so you can have a choice on the individual exchanges.

Tip #3: If you qualify for subsidies from tip 2 then try to get a platinum plan to deal with whatever ailments/preexisting conditions you have, then if you no longer need treatment, switch to a cheaper bronze/silver or even gold plan, whichever you can afford, after subsidies. Switch back and forth as needed.

Tip #4: If tip 2 fails and you can't afford to take a paycut or lose your job, well then you are up shit's creek without a paddle, aren't you?

[FrenchieCat]

1. no you aren't,

but I've noticed that since your reappearance in the last two days,
your Ops are more and more all the same.

This bill isn't Medicare for all, so no, it isn't a perfect panacea.
It will help many, but certainly not all.

I know that if the employer is a small firm,
with 50 or fewer employees, you can join the exchange, no problem.

Also, you may receive a voucher for the amount your employer would normally pay, if you work
for a firm which has 50 employees or more, and go shop on the exchange instead to see if there is a plan that offers better coverage and is more affordable available.

Further, there will be community clinics and non-profit hospitals who
would be required to see you no matter what you make, and your cost would be pro-rated based
on your income.



Establishing Health Insurance Exchanges. Opens health insurance Exchanges in each State to the individual and small group markets. This new venue will enable people to comparison shop for standardized health packages. It facilitates enrollment and administers tax credits so that people of all incomes can obtain affordable coverage.

Ensuring Choice through a Multi-State Option. Provides a choice of coverage through a multi¬State plan, available nationwide, and offered by private insurance carriers under the supervision of the Office of Personnel Management.

Providing Health Care Tax Credits. Makes premium tax credits available through the Exchange to ensure people can obtain affordable coverage. Credits are available for people with incomes above Medicaid eligibility and below 400 percent of poverty who are not eligible for or offered other acceptable coverage. They apply to both premiums and cost-sharing to ensure that no family faces bankruptcy due to medical expenses again.

Ensuring Choice through Free Choice Vouchers. Workers who qualify for an affordability exemption to the individual responsibility policy but do not qualify for tax credits can take their employer contribution and join an Exchange plan.

Promoting Employer Responsibility. Requires employers with 50 or more employees who do not offer coverage to their employees to pay $750 annually for each full-time employee as long as one of their employees receives a tax credit. Precludes waiting periods over 90 days and requires employers to pay $600 annually for each full-time employee in a waiting period of more than 60 days. Requires employers who offer coverage but whose employees receive tax credits to pay $3,000 for each worker receiving a tax credit up to a cap of $750 per full-time employee.

Non-Profit Hospitals. Establishes new requirements applicable to nonprofit hospitals beginning in 2010, including periodic community needs assessments.

http://dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill50.pdf

[Cleobulus]

2. And again, as I explained before, most of that doesn't apply to me.

My employer is larger than 50 employees, so that doesn't apply, they offer coverage already so no exchange for me because if things happen as projected the premiums will be below what would be required for the voucher. As far as the hospitals and free clinics, they will see me, hell they already saw me, but they demand money for actual treatment, which in my case involves surgery. So what other options do you have for me?

[FrenchieCat]

3. How much do you earn anually (you don't have to tell me but then I can't respond with that info) ?

[Cleobulus]

4. I make 10 bucks an hour, or approximately 20,000 dollars a year...

It varies slightly, month to month, because I don't get a solid 40 hours every week.

[FrenchieCat]

5. Are you talking about your premium that you pay out of your check,

or the employer's premium that the employer pays?

Few know what the employer is actually paying for you,
as they, until this bill passes, aren't required to
tell you this.

[Cleobulus]

6. What about the premium? I'm talking about being able to afford treatment...

The premium, right now, is about at 8% of my pay, if I were to take it, it would cost me about 124 dollars a month or so to be covered by the insurance policy. Its one of those low premium, high deduct plans, and it sucks as far as paying for shit is concerned.