Obamacare success stories please

[mhsjax]

We're struggling right now financially (but not receiving any type of assistance, besides unemployment), but we have health insurance. If I have to pay a little more each month so that others less fortunate are able to get healthcare outside of an emergency room (which drives costs up, because they can't pay the huge bill), then I'll struggle a little bit harder to do so.

A little more is one thing, Some people are paying way more than a little. they are being penalized for having good health insurance. I am already stretched to the limit, I refuse to give up anything else so someone else can have something at a much cheaper rate. Sorry but we do without too much already.

Again, a little more I can do, but if i get stuck with several hundred more like I am hearing, I can't do it.

 

[lauradis]

We're struggling right now financially (but not receiving any type of assistance, besides unemployment), but we have health insurance. If I have to pay a little more each month so that others less fortunate are able to get healthcare outside of an emergency room (which drives costs up, because they can't pay the huge bill), then I'll struggle a little bit harder to do so.

This is what government assistant programs are for the short term, you should take it when needed, please do. Build your self back up and return the help to someone else.

I'm firm on my conviction of helping children of the poor, truly disabled people, the old long term. Everyone needs to help, not just the 49%.

Why has it become ok to pay negative taxes?

 

[Liberty Belle]

This is what government assistant programs are for the short term, you should take it when needed, please do. Build your self back up and return the help to someone else.

I'm firm on my conviction of helping children of the poor, truly disabled people, the old long term. Everyone needs to help, not just the 49%.

Why has it become ok to pay negative taxes?

We do not qualify for any assistance, though from what I understand, based on my state's healthcare marketplace info, we should get a tax credit.

 

[lauradis]

We do not qualify for any assistance, though from what I understand, based on my state's healthcare marketplace info, we should get a tax credit.

This is why government sucks at charity!

Even if you have insurance will you be able to go to dr if your sick, or get meds in your present problem. This is why I'm really starting to hate ACA.

Yea it's better then nothing, but it doesn't sound like it works well even for 51%.

 

[robinb]

This is why government sucks at charity!

Even if you have insurance will you be able to go to dr if your sick, or get meds in your present problem. This is why I'm really starting to hate ACA.

Yea it's better then nothing, but it doesn't sound like it works well even for 51%.

Starting to hate the ACA?!?! Thanks for the morning laugh.

 

[Colleen27]

Not sure if it works for Obamacare, but I don't know why it wouldn't. This is nothing new. This is how people routinely "cheat" the system. My neighbor has done this for years. Twelve years ago, she actually tried to recruit us to her system. She said we needed to get divorced and work less. Then she said we would qualify for all the goverrnment programs and get free healthcare, food, assistance, school lunches, even a ymca membership apparently.... We have not spoken to her since.

I'm not sure about Obamacare yet either, but most entitlement programs ask for household income so unless you set up separate addresses, divorcing to reduce income doesn't work.

Because making money or too much money is out of vogue in America. Unless they want us the " lucky" to pay for the new welfare program.

Lets just admit it ACA is a feel good welfare program not tax credit. Now 94k family of 4 isn't enough money to support ones family, but 95k is lol

And as long as you don't have to pay its ok just like food stamps, free school lunches, ssi, there really isn't a difference.

You're ignoring a couple of things here - First, it isn't as though 93K gets a huge subsidy and 95K gets none. At the higher end of the eligibility brackets the subsidy is minimal. Certainly not enough to result in negative or even zero tax rates without an exceptional set of circumstances, deduction-wise.

Second, you're forgetting that there's a big difference in the treatment of employer and non-employer health care premiums, tax-wise. For the employed, 100% of premiums have come from pre-tax dollars for as long as I can remember. For the self-employed, the premiums are deductible from income tax but still subject to social security and medicare taxes. Those who are employed without benefits make out the worst; premiums are deductible from income taxes only if you itemize and are subject to the 7.5% rule. One of the aims of the ACA is to level out that tax treatment somewhat.

And third, there is a huge question of degree; you could make an argument that private charity might be able to pick up the slack for programs like food stamps (which provides, on average, about $1600 per person per year) or school lunches (which provides a benefit of around $500 per student per year) but you'd have a hard time making the case that there are charitable resources available to significantly offset the $6000/individual or $16K/family cost of health insurance, much less the potential costs of a serious medical crisis while uninsured.

Don't the 51 percent of non tax paying Americans have a moral obligation to help support this country too?

They do, and most have in the past and/or will again. Even with the depressing income and wage stats of recent years there are few Americans who never pay taxes. Historically there were few that always did as well, though the growing inequality gap and the trend towards later childbearing has increased the size of that group. For most middle-income Americans, it is a cycle - pay some taxes when young, unmarrried, with no kids or other big deductions (like mortgage interest); pay little or no taxes during the young-family years, when there are kids and a house and daycare and other deductible expenses; pay more taxes as the kids get older, deductions fade away, earning ability peaks, and your mortgage payment starts going mostly to principal rather than interest. Characterizing that 47 or 51 or whatever the percentage is right now as a non-contributing "taker" class is purely political maneuvering, not an accurate representation of the average American's relationship with income taxes.

 

[Colleen27]

An interesting article/analysis about health insurance premiums in recent years:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/business/health-care-premiums-rise-modestly-report-says.html?_r=0

On costs and increases...

A family with employer-provided health insurance now pays just under $16,000 in annual premiums, an increase of about 4 percent over a year ago, according to a study released Tuesday by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.

Individual policies purchased through an employer rose even less, increasing just 3 percent from last year to an average of $5,615, the study said.

Analysts generally agree that the deep recession and the sputtering recovery have helped keep health care spending — and insurance premiums — lower than the double-digit increases experienced in 2004 and before. In 2002, for example, Kaiser reported a 13 percent jump.

On getting less for more money...

About half of workers covered by employers now have a deductible of at least $1,000 for individual policies. In 2007, only 21 percent of workers had deductibles that high, according to Kaiser.

And on one of the primary problems the ACA attempts to resolve...

The report also looked at differences between how much employees are paying for premiums in companies where at least 35 percent of workers earn $24,000 or less a year, compared with how much employees are paying where at least 35 percent of workers earn $55,000 a year.

...

Kaiser found that workers at places with more low-wage employees paid on average $1,000 more in premiums than those working at places employing more higher-earning workers. The low-wage employees paid, on average, nearly $5,000 for their share of premiums, while higher-earning individuals paid about $4,000, on average.

 

[j's m]

Second, you're forgetting that there's a big difference in the treatment of employer and non-employer health care premiums, tax-wise. For the employed, 100% of premiums have come from pre-tax dollars for as long as I can remember. For the self-employed, the premiums are deductible from income tax but still subject to social security and medicare taxes. Those who are employed without benefits make out the worst; premiums are deductible from income taxes only if you itemize and are subject to the 7.5% rule. One of the aims of the ACA is to level out that tax treatment somewhat.

Not any more according to the IRS:

What amount of my medical expenses can I deduct beginning Jan. 1, 2013?

If you and your spouse are both under age 65, on your 2013 tax return that you will file in 2014, you can deduct on Schedule A, Itemized Deductions (Form 1040) only the amount of your unreimbursed allowable medical and dental expenses that is more than 10 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI) from Form 1040, line 38.

If you or your spouse is 65 or over, you are temporarily exempt from the increase. The exemption applies to any tax year beginning after December 31, 2012, and ending before January 1, 2017, if you or your spouse attained age 65 during or before the tax year.

 

[johde]

A possible success story. In class last night, we were talking about ACA and one of my students mentioned that she'd just pay the $95 fine because she "couldn't afford insurance". Doing a quick look at the KFF sight, she may be able to get a bronze plan for free or a silver plan for $30 a month. Her current income though is right near that 100%FPL and Ohio hasn't expanded medicaid. She graduating in June so her expected income for 2014 should be higher. Hopefully it's sparked her and other people in the class to at least look at their options.

Hearing this from me may seem counter to what I've been posting. Even though I'm against the ACA, I think it's a bad law that should be repealed and replaced with something better. Right now, it is the law of the land and it's our job to do what's best for us within the confines of the law.

 

[runwad]

Well we have an employer health plan and I hope to heaven it stays that way. Right now thru my DH's job we have 90/10 coverage and 500 deductible per person and 4500 family max. There are 5 of us and our annual premiums are around 2k per year.

Just to be curious I looked up our costs on the estimator and under ACA for a 70/30 plan our premiums after subsidy would be $7800 with a 12k family max.

We would not be a success story. And I really feel for the people who have crappy insurance. Reading this board really broadens one's horizons and makes you more thankful for what you have.

 

[mom2alix]

Don't the 51 percent of non tax paying Americans have a moral obligation to help support this country too?

This is incorrect and outdated info:

The number is 43.3% of U.S. households that don't pay Federal Income Tax. Leaving 56.7% of us who pay BOTH Federal Income tax and Payroll Taxes.

Let's break down that 43.3%:
43.3% = 28.9% + 9.7% + 3.4% + 1.3%

28.9% that pay Payroll Taxes, but do not have a Federal Income Tax Liability. They do pay taxes, just not Federal Income Taxes in many cases due to tax credits such as the child tax credit, education tax credits, etc. that zero out their tax liability.

9.7% are the elderly - in many cases Social Security and Retirement Income are not taxable until you exceed a certain amount of income.

3.4% are non-elderly who make less than $20,000

1.3% Other (see the second article from the Tax Policy Center regarding households making over $200,000 per year who pay no Federal Income Tax)

Here's an article that breaks it down with some nice pie charts and a link to a video from the Tax Policy Center:
http://www.businessinsider.com/43-of-americans-dont-pay-federal-income-tax-2013-9

http://taxvox.taxpolicycenter.org/2...ncome-people-avoid-paying-federal-income-tax/

 

[njcarita]

i still cant get on my state website to see if i am a success or a failure.... quite frustrating

 

[pryncess527]

A possible success story. In class last night, we were talking about ACA and one of my students mentioned that she'd just pay the $95 fine because she "couldn't afford insurance". Doing a quick look at the KFF sight, she may be able to get a bronze plan for free or a silver plan for $30 a month. Her current income though is right near that 100%FPL and Ohio hasn't expanded medicaid. She graduating in June so her expected income for 2014 should be higher. Hopefully it's sparked her and other people in the class to at least look at their options.

Hearing this from me may seem counter to what I've been posting. Even though I'm against the ACA, I think it's a bad law that should be repealed and replaced with something better. Right now, it is the law of the land and it's our job to do what's best for us within the confines of the law.

Good for you! I wish more people had that attitude. I don't think ACA should be repealed, but I do think there is a lot that needs to be done to make it better and I wish our politicians would accept our current reality and work together to move forward instead of digging their heels in and refusing to acknowledge a legally passed and constitutionally upheld law.

 

[Marionnette]

Good for you! I wish more people had that attitude. I don't think ACA should be repealed, but I do think there is a lot that needs to be done to make it better and I wish our politicians would accept our current reality and work together to move forward instead of digging their heels in and refusing to acknowledge a legally passed and constitutionally upheld law.

I wish that they would dump it and start over. Nothing worse than trying to finagle things after the fact. I accept that we have to work with what we have right now. That doesn't mean that I have to like it nor does it mean that I want my representatives to stop working towards repealing what I consider to be poor legislation. The Supreme Court only ruled that it is constitutional to tax people who do not purchase the insurance. They never weighed in on whether it was workable, sustainable or even a good law.

 

[j's m]

Well we have an employer health plan and I hope to heaven it stays that way. Right now thru my DH's job we have 90/10 coverage and 500 deductible per person and 4500 family max. There are 5 of us and our annual premiums are around 2k per year.

Just to be curious I looked up our costs on the estimator and under ACA for a 70/30 plan our premiums after subsidy would be $7800 with a 12k family max.

We would not be a success story. And I really feel for the people who have crappy insurance. Reading this board really broadens one's horizons and makes you more thankful for what you have.

Yes, you don't realize how lucky you are to have a 500 deductible, we haven't had one for at least 10 years. Your DH must work for a larger employer (100 or more employees) to be be to afford that kind of coverage, although with large groups they get a better deal on insurance.

 

[j's m]

i still cant get on my state website to see if i am a success or a failure.... quite frustrating

I suggest we move out of NJ and go to MN. With the money we save on insurance we can buy lots of warm weather clothes, boots and a car heater.

MN offers a plan with a $ 300 deductible, out of network benefits, silver level for $ 800 which is better than the silver plan for me in NJ for over $ 1232 with a $ 2500 deductible. Not only that, they have tons of plans, not like BCBS offers in NJ, 4 lousy EPO plans.

 

[lauradis]

Yes, you don't realize how lucky you are to have a 500 deductible, we haven't had one for at least 10 years. Your DH must work for a larger employer (100 or more employees) to be be to afford that kind of coverage, although with large groups they get a better deal on insurance.

Makes me wonder are the tax payers getting a good deal on the exchange. not per family, but as the largest ever buying group?

 

[lauradis]

This is incorrect and outdated info:

The number is 43.3% of U.S. households that don't pay Federal Income Tax. Leaving 56.7% of us who pay BOTH Federal Income tax and Payroll Taxes.

Let's break down that 43.3%:
43.3% = 28.9% + 9.7% + 3.4% + 1.3%

28.9% that pay Payroll Taxes, but do not have a Federal Income Tax Liability. They do pay taxes, just not Federal Income Taxes in many cases due to tax credits such as the child tax credit, education tax credits, etc. that zero out their tax liability.

9.7% are the elderly - in many cases Social Security and Retirement Income are not taxable until you exceed a certain amount of income.

3.4% are non-elderly who make less than $20,000

1.3% Other (see the second article from the Tax Policy Center regarding households making over $200,000 per year who pay no Federal Income Tax)

Here's an article that breaks it down with some nice pie charts and a link to a video from the Tax Policy Center:
http://www.businessinsider.com/43-of-americans-dont-pay-federal-income-tax-2013-9

http://taxvox.taxpolicycenter.org/2...ncome-people-avoid-paying-federal-income-tax/

Thank you for the updated info.

That percentage must change every year.

You didn't answer the question. Do non paying tax citizens have a moral responsibility to pay too?

 

[lauradis]

Thought of new loop hole to save people money.

So you buy the bronze plan.

Go to regular family doctor for check ups. Aca requires all preventive.

If you get normal sickness then go to free health clinic.

See you will save a ton on premiums, plus you get all the goodies of preventive care, plus if johnny has ear infection no need to pay for high dr bill.

Think this will work to save people more money???

 

[robinb]

Thought of new loop hole to save people money. So you buy the bronze plan. Go to regular family doctor for check ups. Aca requires all preventive. If you get normal sickness then go to free health clinic. See you will save a ton on premiums, plus you get all the goodies of preventive care, plus if johnny has ear infection no need to pay for high dr bill. Think this will work to save people more money???

Cheaters are gonna cheat.