Serious question about the 2014 health care "subsidies...."

[Pab Sungenis]

I can get health insurance through my husband's employer. I can't afford to get it now, though, because adding me onto his policy would cost an extra $460.00 every paycheck, or more than 1/4 of his take-home pay.

Everyone's been telling me that in 2014, if I live that long, I'll be eligible for subsidies to pay some of that $460.00 a month. Nice in theory.

BUT....

Thanks to DOMA, I'm not recognized as his husband by the Federal Government.

So would I be eligible to, or even allowed to, apply for the subsidies to buy into his health insurance? I have a sneaking suspicion that I won't.

Also, since we're in a "civil union" in New Jersey, does that make me ineligible for Medicaid, since his pay puts him just out of the reach of the Medicaid threshold?

Every day I get angrier that we traded away single payer before the negotiations even started.

[Fumesucker]

1. K&R for a very good question..

[Statistical]

2. Sadly I don't think so not unless DOMA is repealed.

What may happen is you may (depending on your income) be eligible for subsidies and get your own plan for less than the $460 it would cost to be added to his plan.

[Hello_Kitty]

3. Employer plans wouldn't be eligible for the subsidies.

You would be able to get on a subsidized plan in the exchange as a single person if there's no insurance available through your employer. You can plug your numbers into the calculator here: http://healthreform.kff.org/SubsidyCalculator.aspx

[EC]

4. You'd still get subsidies for

yourself to purchase insurance...I'm not sure that it matters what insurance you are buying into except that it is an accepted plan for coverage...so why would it matter if it were your husband's policy or a completely separate one? You'd be subsidized either way...

[TorchTheWitch]

5. they aren't subsidies anyway

They're tax credits which means you have to come up with the money first and get reimbursed through your taxes at the end of the year at zero interest. So, if you don't have the up-front money to begin with, tough shit for you.

[rgbecker]

10. I'm not sure you have this right.

If someone's income level is low enough to qualify for a 'subsidy' (that is, a lower premium), I believe it is just that, namely a lower premium. Nothing to do with taxes or credits. That's how it works in Massachusetts and the Federal plan is modeled after that system.

[Pab Sungenis]

6. Correction

before the haters jump on.

$460.00 every month, not every paycheck. Typo on my part.

[BzaDem]

7. How do you "trade away" single payer? That implies there were more than 10 votes in the Senate to

pass it in the first place (which is obviously false). That's like someone who normally makes 50k/year saying "too bad I traded away ten million dollars in my new job's salary negotiation."

As for your question, the subsidy only applies to policies on the individual market (not to any employer plan). So if you wanted to get a policy through the exchange (provided you don't have an employer option in 2014) and your income tax return had you at below 400% of the poverty level, you would get subsidies for that policy on the exchange.

[theophilus]

8. One would "trade it away" if the Big Money Med folks were told that they

didn't have to worry about single payer because it would not even be on the table. Of course it is the best way to go but this President doesn't believe in the "best way" if he will be accused of being a Liberal. IMO.

[Recursion]

9. I don't think so, unfortunately; but check your state and city laws (nt)