General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Does the Affordable Care Act make it illegal for hospitals to demand entire deductibles up front? [View all]JNinWB
(250 posts)Hospitals can check your policy information, finding out how much is left on your deductible and request payment at the time of admission.
Do not accept COBRA until you check the exchanges to see if you are entitled to a subsidy; if you take even one day of COBRA, you cannot qualify for the subsidy that year. (You have a 62 day window to accept COBRA. If you decline COBRA and have a medical emergency within that window, you can still sign up.)
If you do not qualify for a subsidy on the exchange, you can purchase your policy through a broker, who can compare all the various exchange plans for you. (A broker told me this, so.....)
California exchange subsidies are based on the Federal Poverty Limit not California's, which is higher. This will really hurt low-income Californians.