Help with Badgercare/Obamacare Please

[my2redheads]

My dh unexpectedly lost his job the day before Thanksgiving. I am trying not to panic! I have applied for Badger Care for the family but do I also need to apply for Obama Care? It did state on the application that if we didn't qualify they would pass on my info to the Healthcare Marketplace. So I could be good, right?

 

[Marionnette]

My dh unexpectedly lost his job the day before Thanksgiving. I am trying not to panic! I have applied for Badger Care for the family but do I also need to apply for Obama Care? It did state on the application that if we didn't qualify they would pass on my info to the Healthcare Marketplace. So I could be good, right?

Obama Care is not insurance. It's another name for the ACA.

The Healthcare Marketplace is another name for the insurance exchange for the federal government. Your state may not have its own exchange, so residents seeking to subsidize their health insurance costs need to go through the federal government's exchange.

Keep in mind that the exchanges are not a one-size-fits-all deal. There will be multiple plans and insurance companies to pick from. All will have certain levels of coverage (bronze, silver, gold, platinum) and each will come at a price. Your cost will be determined by your expected income in 2015 and your family size, as well as the coverage that you choose. If your state passes your info on to the government's health insurance exchange, you will still need to choose a plan. It will not be automatic coverage.

I feel bad for your situation and I hope it is only a temporary setback. If I were in your shoes, I would check the healthcare.gov website for what is available to me and what the cost would be. You can even create an account and begin your application on the website so that if you learn that you do not qualify for assistance under your state, you will have started the process on the federal website and you will have an idea of what coverage is available to you. Good luck!

 

[MAO]

I think the law called "COBRA" is federal - basically it states that you can keep your existing insurance (if it was provided by your job) for up to a year. Unfortunately, the price you pay may be too high to consider, but for a temporary solution you might look into that as well.

 

[my2redheads]

Thanks, I know that COBRA will be way beyond our means right now. I only work very part time. I am picking up as many extra hours as I can, but my company only has a limited # available.

They have 30 days to process my Badger Care application so I am afraid that I'll miss the open enrollment for Obama Care. Maybe I'll go ahead and fill out an app for that as well, but it is hard to determine income for 2015 when we have no idea how long it will take dh to find a new position!

 

[MAO]

Honestly, I'd wait to see how this Badger Care application turns out. If you go to the Healthcare.gov website, it states that you'll owe a penalty if you don't have health insurance unless you qualify for an exemption. And guess what? If you're uninsured for less than 3 months in a year, you're exempt. So wait to see what your Badger Care situation turns out to be, then apply via the marketplace if you need to. You've got until the middle of February to apply via the marketplace for 2015 coverage, so you've got plenty of time. Stress will cause more health problems, which you don't need, so try to relax a bit. I really think you'll be ok as long as you don't forget about it.