The Need For Income Protection.

May 1, 2013 by Frank West

This two-minute video shows the importance of income protection. It discusses what one’s income provides, the real-life risks we face and how people can protect their incomes against the chances of being too sick or hurt to work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIgohZZmHug

Protect Your Paycheck.

May 1, 2013 by Frank West

You protect your car and your home with insurance, but are you protecting an asset that is more valuable than either of those—your paycheck? Tom goes a little over the top with his protection methods, but has made the right choice to protect his paycheck properly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUipMiDtFSU&feature=youtu.be

Filed Under: Disability Income Insurance, Disability Income Insurance Tagged With: Paycheck Protection., Professional Disability Income Protection

Turning 65? Don’t Miss Open Enrollment Period for Medigap Insurance.

April 16, 2013 by Frank West

Turning 65? Don’t Miss Open Enrollment Period for Medigap Insurance

Medicare plans aren’t intended to cover every medical expense – there are still copayment, coinsurance, and deductible payments to be made. Can you afford them yourself, or should you get Medigap insurance?What is ‘Medigap insurance’?

Medigap insurance is simple: You pay a modest premium each month. In exchange, you take much of the pain out of any possible deductibles or copayments. While Medigap is standardized under federal law, these policies are private health insurance plans that cover expenses you may still have even after Medicare has paid its portion of your medical bills. This may includes copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, physician fees, lab fees, the cost of durable medical equipment, and sometimes more.

There are ten types of Medigap policies available; all have standardized minimum benefits and use the same letter names (with the exception of Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, which each have their own system). This makes it easier to compare rates offered for the same policy by different companies, and to know what policy to shop for if you move to another state. When considering Medigap insurance plans, your first step is to find out what is available in your state.

The good news is that any standardized Medigap policy is guaranteed renewable, which means that coverage cannot be canceled for any reason other than failure to pay the premium. You cannot be dropped because you are sick.

Am I eligible?

Anyone age 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B can purchase Medigap. However, you may not need a Medigap policy if you:

Are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C). In fact, it is illegal for anyone to sell you a Medigap policy if you are already in a Part C Plan, unless your Part C coverage will end before the Medigap insurance begins.
Are covered by Medicaid. Except for certain circumstances, it is illegal for an insurance company to sell you a Medigap policy if you receive Medicaid.
Have other health insurance, such as coverage from employer/union group health, TRICARE, or VA benefits.

If you are eligible for and in need of Medigap coverage, it is very important to understand the advantages of the open enrollment period.

What is the open enrollment period? Why is it so important?

The open enrollment period for Medigap insurance is a one-time only six-month period that begins the first day of the month in which you are 65 years of age AND enrolled in Medicare Part B. During open enrollment, you have the right to purchase any Medigap plan that’s available in your state without the risk of refusal and without paying extra for any pre-existing conditions. (Depending upon your previous coverage, however, there may be a waiting period for coverage related to a pre-existing condition).

If you are 65 and already have employer-provided group health insurance, you may wish to wait to enroll in Medicare Part B. When your employer coverage ends, you can enroll in Part B without a late enrollment penalty, and then your Medigap open enrollment period will begin when you need it.

What if I don’t need Medigap now, but need it later?

In addition to the open enrollment period, there are certain other situations under which you have the right to guaranteed Medigap coverage regardless of any pre-existing conditions, at the same price for which it would be offered to anyone else. These rights are called “guaranteed issue rights” or “Medigap protections” and they occur in the following circumstances:

Your other health care coverage changes or is lost.
You’ve had a Medicare Advantage Plan (Medicare Plan C) for less than a year and want to switch (or, in some cases, switch back) to Original Medicare with a Medigap plan.
The carrier of your current Medigap insurance ceases to exist, or has misled you or otherwise broken the rules.

If any of these situations occur, you have 63 days to exercise your guaranteed issue rights to secure Medigap insurance. Click here for detailed information about situations, rights, and deadlines.

It is important that you be able to prove your previous coverage and the date it changed or ceased; keep all letters of notification, claim denials, or similar documents, and the envelopes in which they arrived.

How much does it cost?

Each insurance company sets its own premium, or price, for the policies it offers, and there are a number of ways in which they may choose to do so. When comparing premiums from different companies, it is important to consider the method used in pricing – be sure to ask for this information before buying.

Issue-age-rated, or “entry-age-rated” policies have premiums determined in part by the age at which you first purchase the policy. A premium may increase due to inflation or other issues, but will not increase based on age.

Attained-age-rated premiums increase with age in addition to inflation or other external issues. These premiums are quite low at first, but can ultimately be the most expensive.

Community-rated, or “no-age rated” policies’ premiums may fluctuate due to inflation or other issues, but are not based upon your age.

Other factors influencing price include discounts that the carrier may offer; for multiple policies, paying yearly, and so on.

So should I get Medigap?

As with any insurance, its value lies in both peace of mind and in potential financial savings – in this case, the known cost of premiums versus the unknowable cost of medical bills after Medicare. Take the time to carefully consider your immediate and likely future needs, and weigh that against your peace of mind and financial capabilities. Medigap doesn’t make sense for everyone – and it should be carefully considered in light of your own individual situation. You should also compare it to the various Medicare Advantage programs available in your area. Your agent is an expert in the various plans available and the advantages and disadvantages of each one.

Filed Under: Medicare Supplement Plans, Medigap Insurance Tagged With: Medicare Insurance Plan

Protect Your Power to Earn Through Disability Insurance.

April 16, 2013 by Frank West

Protect Your Power to Earn Through Disability Insurance

If you’re one of the millions of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck, and most of us are, an accident or illness that leaves you unexpectedly unable to work can leave you unable to pay for your living expenses and result in financial devastation. For this reason alone, disability insurance is a very important insurance coverage. Unfortunately, far too many people don’t have enough, if any, disability coverage t protect them from the above.

Cost is one commonly cited reason for the lack of disability coverage. This is especially true for those employed in a high-risk occupation. Other factors impacting rates include the benefits selected, age, and personal health history. However, considering the protection provided by disability insurance, a premium amounting to 3% or less of your income is a relatively small investment. You might have many other tangible areas to spend that 1-3% of your income now, but how would you financially survive should you become unable to work in the future?

Most experts agree that adequate coverage starts with a policy providing a minimum of 60% of your gross income during the time you’re disabled. The reasoning being is disability insurance premiums are typically paid using post-tax dollars, meaning the benefits are tax-free. So, a policy that provides 60% of your pre-tax income would amount to your existing paycheck.

The waiting period of a policy is a major factor when it comes to policy rates. Premiums are usually significantly lower if you can afford to wait 90 days after becoming disabled to begin collecting benefits. Do keep in mind that this delay means you’ll need personal savings to cover your expenses while waiting for the benefits to start. The maximum benefit period is another major factor affecting the policy rate. Purchasing a policy that only offers benefits until you’re 65-years-old can lower the rate, but you should expect to have sufficient retirement income to provide coverage at the end of the maximum benefit period.

When looking at disability policies, you should pay close attention to how the policy defines disability. Some policies are designed to only pay in the event of a total disability and inability to work any job. Partial disability protection is an important feature, as it’s designed to pay the lost percentage of your income in the event that you’re only able to work part-time during your disability.

You should further determine if the policy is guaranteed renewable and non-cancelable. With these features, the policy can’t be canceled and the premium can’t be raised should your health change during the course of the coverage. It’s important to make sure the policy has an inflation rider that provides a cost of living adjustment for the disability period. A future insurability rider is another option to consider. This feature will permit you to buy additional coverage (regardless of any occupational, activity, or health-status change) should your income increase. Some carriers may also have an option for transition benefits that will pay a portion of any income loss you might incur when returning to work after a period of disability.

Filed Under: Disability Income Insurance, Paycheck Protection Tagged With: Professional Disability Income Protection

Health Insurance Exchange. What To Expect In 2014.

April 11, 2013 by Frank West

The Basics Of Health Insurance Exchanges.

As part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA or health care reform law), starting in 2014
all Americans must have a minimum amount of health insurance or be taxed by the
government. The law also requires each state to have a health insurance exchange
where people can buy health insurance coverage. People who don’t get health
insurance at work, or can’t afford it, may be able to get it through an exchange. The
exchanges do not replace buying health insurance privately. They are simply a new
place to shop and buy.

Exchange plans will be offered in a tiered format. The tiers are named
after metals: bronze, silver, gold, & platinum. Each tier will have
several plans to choose from and will include essential health benefits.
Bronze plans will have the lowest monthly premium, but cost shares will
be more when health care services are provided. Platinum plans will
have the highest monthly premium, but cost shares will be less.

All plans must include “essential health benefits” as defined by the
health care reform law. Specifically, the plans must include items and
services from at least these 10 categories of care:*

1. Ambulatory patient services

2. Emergency services

3. Hospitalization

4. Maternity and newborn care

5. Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral
health treatment

6. Prescription drugs

7. Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices

8. Laboratory services

9. Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management

10. Pediatric services, including oral and vision care

Subsidies & Credits For Individuals:

Those who don’t have access to affordable, minimum essential health
coverage can buy a health plan from the exchange and get a credit or
subsidy if they meet income requirements. Credits and subsidies help
with the cost of premiums and out-of-pocket health care expenses.

Income requirements:

133% to 400% of federal poverty level

For an individual that equals $15,282 to $45,960 per year (in 2013).

For a family of four that equals $31,322 to $94,200 per year (in 2013).

Filed Under: Affordable Care Act, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Health Insurance Exchange Tagged With: Affordable Care Act, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Exchange, Obamacare

Buyer beware: New health insurance subsidies could result in surprise federal tax bills later.

April 2, 2013 by Frank West

By Associated Press,

Apr 02, 2013 04:58 PM EDT

AP Updated: Tuesday, April 2, 9:58 AM

WASHINGTON — Millions of people who take advantage of government subsidies to help buy health insurance next year could get stung by surprise tax bills if they don’t accurately project their income.

President Barack Obama’s new health care law will offer subsidies to help people buy private health insurance on state-based exchanges, if they don’t already get coverage through their employers. The subsidies are based on income. The lower your income, the bigger the subsidy.

But the government doesn’t know how much money you’re going to make next year. And when you apply for the subsidy, this fall, it won’t even know how much you’re making this year. So, unless you tell the government otherwise, it will rely on the best information it has: your 2012 tax return, filed this spring.

What happens if you or your spouse gets a raise and your family income goes up in 2014? You could end up with a bigger subsidy than you are entitled to. If that happens, the law says you have to pay back at least part of the money when you file your tax return in the spring of 2015.

That could result in smaller tax refunds or surprise tax bills for millions of middle-income families.

“That’s scary,” says Joan Baird of Springfield, Va. “I had no idea, and I work in health care.”

Baird, a health care information management worker, is far from alone. Health care providers, advocates and tax experts say the vast majority of Americans know very little about the new health care law, let alone the kind of detailed information many will need to navigate its system of subsidies and penalties.

“They know it’s out there,” said Mark Cummings, who manages the H&R Block office where Baird was getting her own taxes done. “But in general, they don’t know anything about it.”

A draft of the application for insurance asks people to project their 2014 income if their current income is not steady or if they expect it to change. The application runs 15 pages for a three-person family, but nowhere does it warn people that they may have to repay part of the subsidy if their income increases.

“I think this will be the hardest thing for members of the public to understand because it is a novel aspect of this tax credit,” said Catherine Livingston, who recently served as health care counsel for the Internal Revenue Service. “I can’t think of what else they do in the tax system currently that works that way.” Livingston is now a partner in the Washington office of the law firm Jones Day.

There’s another wrinkle: The vast majority of taxpayers won’t actually receive the subsidies. Instead, the money will be paid directly to insurance companies and consumers will get the benefit in reduced premiums.

Health care providers and advocates for people who don’t have insurance are planning public awareness campaigns to teach people about the health care law and its benefits.

Enroll America, a coalition of health care providers and advocates, is planning a multimillion-dollar campaign using social media, paid advertising and grass-roots organizing to encourage people who don’t have insurance to sign up for it, said Anne Filipic, a former Obama White House official who is now president of the organization.

Filed Under: Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Tagged With: Affordable Care Act

Health Insurance Exchange

March 11, 2013 by Frank West

Health insurance marketplace opens

Starting in October 2013, there’s one more way to get health coverage. It’s called the health insurance marketplace (also known as exchanges). It gives you another way to compare and buy health insurance.

All plans in the marketplace are run by health insurance companies and offer a core set of benefits called “essential health benefits.” These benefits include ER care, hospital stays, maternity and newborn care, prescription drugs and preventive care. You can choose from four levels of coverage: bronze, silver, gold and platinum.

Each level may have a few plans to choose from, with bronze having the lowest monthly premium but you pay more for your care. Platinum plans have the highest monthly premium, but you pay less when you get care.

More preventive care coverage for Medicaid

The Affordable Care Act aims to expand Medicaid to provide coverage for more Americans. States decide whether to expand their Medicaid program. If they do, the expansion means more funds for services that prevent diseases and obesity. People who qualify for Medicaid can get annual exams and vaccines for free. If you’re a woman, mammograms and other wellness checkups are covered at 100%.

The goal is to make it easier for people with Medicaid to take care of their health. Getting the right preventive care is tough when you have limited funds. But this care can prevent serious diseases and the need for costly care later on. The extra funds from the federal government can help Medicaid members get regular checkups and screenings at no charge.

Here’s what’s different

More people can qualify for Medicaid as funding from the federal government goes up. That means more people with lower income can get free preventive care.

How it impacts you

If you have Medicaid coverage, the law makes it a little easier to take care of your health. Extra federal funds can help your state cover preventive care. So annual exams, vaccines and certain screenings are free.

Do Medicaid programs in all states cover preventive care?

Yes. Each state has its own rules on Medicaid, but health care reform requires all plans to cover preventive care. Extra funds from the federal government help the states pay for it. States that choose to expand Medicaid coverage to 133% of the federal poverty can get full federal funding. With the expansion, a person under 65 who earns less than $14,500 a year can qualify for Medicaid. Or a family of up four earning less than $29,700 a year.

What does Medicaid expansion mean?

Medicaid expansion means offering health care coverage to more people with low incomes. Giving states extra funds for preventive care is part of the Medicaid expansion in health care reform.

Are there other changes to Medicaid benefits?

Yes. Products and services to help quit smoking will be covered starting in 2014. States can choose to cover family planning services and supplies. Coverage for prescriptions will increase.

Financial help with tax credits or a subsidy

In 2014, if you meet the criteria, you might be able to get a subsidy to help you pay for your health plan. You can use it for any plan offered in the health insurance marketplace (also known as exchanges).

How to qualify: You have to make less than a certain amount (as reported on your last federal tax return). You must be a U.S. citizen or legal U.S. alien.

Who qualifies for a subsidy?

People who are 133 to 400% of the federal poverty level.* That means you make between $14,856 and $44,680 a year.
A family of four that is 133 to 400% of the federal poverty level,* meaning you make between $30,656 and $92,000 a year.
People who are up to 250% of the federal poverty level.* This group might get an extra subsidy with a silver level plan.

Keep in mind, this financial help isn’t offered to people who have other low-cost choices, like Medicaid or Medicare. You also don’t qualify if health plan at work is affordable. This means your share of the premium is less than 9.5% of your earnings.

Here’s what’s new

Open enrollment starts October 1, 2013. Plan coverage can start as early as January 1, 2014.

How it could impact you

If you can get a subsidy, you’ll pay a lower monthly premium when you buy a plan in the health insurance marketplace.

Have questions?

If I qualify, do I wait until tax time to get the credit?

No. You can get it when you pay for your health insurance. It will be taken from your premium. The IRS will send the amount of your tax credit to the insurance company.

What if I buy a plan from an insurer?

You can still do that. Tax credits can only be used when you buy a plan in the marketplace.

Other than earnings, what else determines if I get a tax credit?

Number of people in your family
Your age
Where you live

These things also influence how large of a tax credit you get back.

*The federal poverty level may vary by state.

Filed Under: Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Tagged With: Affordable Care Act

Disability Insurance: Protecting Your Income

March 11, 2013 by Frank West

In 2004, thereIn 2004, there were more than 32 million disabled adults, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s about 10% of the U.S. population. Thus, you have a 1:3 chance of becoming unable to work due to a prolonged illness or injury. The financial impact for individuals who become disabled and do not have disability insurance can be devastating. Moreover, with the current economic conditions most of us don’t have enough savings and investments to rely on should we be unable to work as a result of an illness or injury. However, by obtaining private disability insurance you can reduce the financial impact by up to 80%. When combined with government disability insurance programs you can cover up to 95% of the expenses.

When you have insurance that pays most of the expenses you eliminate not only the financial burden, but also the emotional hardship which allows you to focus on your rehabilitation. Without private disability insurance you may need to sell your home, car and other assets. In fact, people that are suddenly faced with a disability and loss of income have lost their homes to foreclosure. When you think of all of the costs associated with not being able to work, acquiring disability insurance to protect your income seems to be a very prudent and inexpensive thing to do. When you sit down and think about your monetary resources, you have to consider what-if scenarios. Nobody likes to think about these types of things, but you have to understand that they don’t always happen to somebody else. When you plan for the worse-case scenario you are better off if something unexpected happens. If it doesn’t happen you are able to enjoy peace of mind knowing that if something did happen you were fully protected.

Filed Under: Disability Income Insurance Tagged With: Disability Income Protection

Choose the Best Health Insurance Plan for You!

February 2, 2013 by Frank West

Choose the Best Health Insurance Plan for You!

Selecting a health care plan can be an overwhelming task, because the options and coverages can be seemingly endless. Which insurance company should you choose? How much of a deductible should you opt for? Is your current doctor “in network?”

Which is better, a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) or HMO (Health Maintenance Organization)? Consumer Reports has a guide to help you understand the different “managed care” options available, and to choose the best one for you. The features and differences are many. For example, if you don’t want to have to worry about referrals and finding providers “in network,” you may want to choose a PPO. With an HMO you might have to pay the full cost to see a provider out-of-network.

Consider a plan’s deductible, the minimum amount you’ll be responsible for paying before the insurance coverage kicks in. Because the lower the deductible, the higher your premium will be, if you’re in good health and have few regular medical expenses, you may want to opt for an insurance plan with a higher deductible.

Next, think about co-pays, the costs you share with the insurance company. You may be responsible for a set amount, say $15, for an office visit, and $100 for a trip to the emergency room. Insurance plans also often have co-insurance, where you’ll share an 80/20 or 90/10 or similar agreement with the insurance company. They’ll pay 80 percent of the bill, and you’ll be responsible for the balance, up to your out-of-pocket maximum, after which insurance should pick up 100 percent of the bill. The higher your out-of-pocket maximum is, the lower your premiums will be. You should weigh this aspect of each plan carefully.

Beware cheap health insurance. Of course, you want to snag the best deal possible, and pay the least amount in monthly premiums. Fully understand the plan and all of its benefits and limits before you agree to a plan. Ask questions and take notes to compare, if you have to. Check Standard & Poors insurance ratings, and try to choose a plan with a company which has an “A” or higher rating. Watch out for things like “no major medical,” “guaranteed acceptance,” and discounts up to a certain amount. These can be red flags for “junk” insurance plans.

Buy what you need. Don’t get roped in to paying more for extended plans or extra benefits that won’t actually benefit you that much. Conversely, don’t get caught without the coverage you will need. Does the plan you’re considering cover hospital stays and prescription drugs? The plan you choose should cover both, as well as outpatient treatments, emergency services, lab work and imaging, preventive care, mental health, substance abuse, rehabilitation services and maternity care (if you’re a female of childbearing age).

Know the difference between a discount plan and insurance plan. For a discount plan, you’ll pay a monthly fee for a card that may entitle you to discounts from certain providers. These are no intended to be a substitute for a full health insurance plan, and many are scams that won’t actually offer you much for your investment. Consumer Reports recommends familiarizing yourself with the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information article about the difference between discount plans and health insurance.

Insurance plans, other than Medicare, must now provide a standard Summary of Benefits and Coverage form, detailing deductibles, co-insurance, co-pays, benefits and limitations. Use this form to help you compare different plans.

Filed Under: Health Insurance

Individual Health Premiums to Shoot Up Under Affordable Care Act Source: WSJ – Merrill Matthews

February 2, 2013 by Frank West

Individual Health Premiums to Shoot Up Under Affordable Care Act Source: WSJ – Merrill Matthews , January 2013

Health insurance premiums have been rising-and consumers will experience another series of price shocks later this year when some see their premiums skyrocket thanks to the Affordable Care Act, aka ObamaCare. The reason: The congressional Democrats who crafted the legislation ignored virtually every actuarial principle governing rational insurance pricing. Premiums will soon reflect that disregard-indeed, premiums are already reflecting it. Central to ObamaCare are requirements that health insurers (1) accept everyone who applies (guaranteed issue), (2) cannot charge more based on serious medical conditions (modified community rating), and (3) include numerous coverage mandates that force insurance to pay for many often uncovered medical conditions. Guaranteed issue incentivizes people to forgo buying a policy until they get sick and need coverage (and then drop the policy after they get well).

While ObamaCare imposes a financial penalty-or is it a tax?-to discourage people from gaming the system, it is too low to be a real disincentive. The result will be insurance pools that are smaller and sicker, and therefore more expensive. How do we know these requirements will have such a negative impact on premiums? Eight states-New Jersey, New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Washington, Kentucky, Vermont and Massachusetts-enacted guaranteed issue and community rating in the mid-1990s and wrecked their individual (i.e., non-group) health-insurance markets. Premiums increased so much that Kentucky largely repealed its law in 2000 and some of the other states eventually modified their community-rating provisions.

States won’t experience equal increases in their premiums under ObamaCare. Ironically, citizens in states that have acted responsibly over the years by adhering to standard actuarial principles and limiting the (often politically motivated) mandates will see the biggest increases, because their premiums have typically been the lowest. Many actuaries, such as those in the international consulting firm Oliver Wyman, are now predicting an average increase of roughly 50% in premiums for some in the individual market for the same coverage. But that is an average. Large employer groups will be less affected, at least initially, because the law grandfathers in employers that self-insure. Small employers will likely see a significant increase, though not as large as the individual market, which will be the hardest hit. We compared the average premiums in states that already have ObamaCare-like provisions in their laws and found that consumers in New Jersey, New York and Vermont already pay well over twice what citizens in many other states pay. Consumers in Maine and Massachusetts aren’t far behind. Those states will likely see a small increase. By contrast, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming and Virginia will likely see the largest increases-somewhere between 65% and 100%. Another 18 states, including Texas and Michigan, could see their rates rise between 35% and 65%.

While ObamaCare won’t take full effect until 2014, health-insurance premiums in the individual market are already rising, and not just because of routine increases in medical costs. Insurers are adjusting premiums now in anticipation of the guaranteed-issue and community-rating mandates starting next year. There are newly imposed mandates, such as the coverage for children up to age 26, and what qualifies as coverage is much more comprehensive and expensive. Consolidation in the hospital system has been accelerated by ObamaCare and its push for Accountable Care Organizations. This means insurers must negotiate in a less competitive hospital market. Although President Obama repeatedly claimed that health-insurance premiums for a family would be $2,500 lower by the end of his first term, they are actually about $3,000 higher-a spread of about $5,500 per family.

Health insurers have been understandably reluctant to discuss the coming price hikes that are driven by the Affordable Care Act. Mark Bertolini, CEO of Aetna, the country’s third-largest health insurer, broke the silence on Dec. 12. “We’re going to see some markets go up by as much as 100%,” he told the company’s annual investor conference in New York City. Insurers know that the Obama administration will denounce the premium increases as the result of greedy health insurers, greedy doctors, greedy somebody. The Department of Health and Human Services will likely begin to threaten, arm-twist or investigate health insurers in an effort to force them into keeping their premiums more in line with Democratic promises-just as HHS bureaucrats have already started doing when insurers want premium increases larger than 10%. And that may work for a while. It certainly has in Massachusetts, where politicians, including then-Gov. Mitt Romney, made all the same cost-lowering promises about the state’s 2006 prequel to ObamaCare that have yet to come true. But unlike the federal government, health insurers can’t run perpetual deficits. Something will have to give, which will likely open the door to making health insurance a public utility completely regulated by the government, or the left’s real goal: a single-payer system.

Filed Under: Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Tagged With: individual mandate

By Associated Press,

AP Updated: Tuesday, April 2, 9:58 AM

Health insurance marketplace opens

More preventive care coverage for Medicaid

Here’s what’s different

How it impacts you

Do Medicaid programs in all states cover preventive care?

What does Medicaid expansion mean?

Are there other changes to Medicaid benefits?

Financial help with tax credits or a subsidy

Here’s what’s new

How it could impact you

Have questions?

If I qualify, do I wait until tax time to get the credit?

What if I buy a plan from an insurer?

Other than earnings, what else determines if I get a tax credit?

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