<p>^^You’re right, cf. I’d think it’s possible that income could have even dropped somewhat over that time. It is hard to determine exactly what studies show when they don’t say too many specifics about the data.</p>
<p>Okay cpt, I see your problem. NY has one of the most expensive individual markets in the US. Years ago they went to community rating and guaranteed issue, and most of the insurers left the state or stopped providing policies for the individual market. If your son lived in Ca, he could have gotten an individual policy pre-ACA with a reasonable deductible for around $100 a month.</p>
<p>Almost every website shows median household income similar to HUD’s. I am not sure what to make of the tax return numbers provided by the state.</p>
<p>What IS true is that the Bay Area is an expensive part of California, and California is an expensive place.</p>
<p>Crazy expensive. I don’t think I’d ever live there, even though it’s beautiful.</p>
<p>It really is crazy expensive. On another thread, someone was talking about selling her house: she wanted $225K, and the initial offer was $190K. I could only visualize it if I multiplied the amounts by ten. Around here, $225K is not a house price. It’s more like the difference between ask and offer, in house prices.</p>
<p>official census data has both Marin & Santa Clara Counties’ median household income at $89k in 2011.</p>
<p>[Marin</a> County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau](<a href=“http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06041.html]Marin”>http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06041.html)</p>
<p>Per capita income in Marin is $54k; same is $40k in Santa Clara. San Francisco City/County is between the two (@$47k).</p>
<p>The State per capita is $29k.</p>
<p>cf:</p>
<p>not sure what the SFGate blog was reporting, but the local Marin County paper used the actual numbers from Franchise Tax Board: Marin = $108k</p>
<p>[Marin</a> household income tops state again, but dips 8.6 percent - Marin Independent Journal](<a href=“http://www.marinij.com/ci_17542348]Marin”>http://www.marinij.com/ci_17542348)</p>
<p>It looks like the SFGate blog was just wrong. Sorry, everyone. The correct household income for the Bay Area is around $90-$100K. Which is a lot.</p>
<p>Well…I live in Marin. The 48,000 is ridiculous. I am walking on the bike path between Ross and Kentfield right now. :)</p>
<p>For two people, 48,000 in Marin is probably close to living in poverty…especially if you have to buy health insurance in the individual market.</p>
<p>That is a lot, but if you’re dealing with housing that cost millions, maybe even that doesn’t go so far. On $100K income, you’d pay about 30K in all your taxes in CA, if you have to pay 15K for family health insurance, plus expensive housing, what’s left? I guess you need to work for a big employer that provides it.</p>
<p>CF, yes, that $225,000 is more like a down payment than a house price in Marin…scary.
Goskids realize the chances of them affording something here are slim…boo.</p>
<p>As with a lot of government programs, the ACA doesn’t have an area cost-of-living adjustment. And that’s a problem for people living in expensive areas. 401% of the poverty level is a reasonable amount in a lot of areas, but here, it doesn’t go far.</p>
<p>“My one son is turning 26, and to get him covered under COBRA would be very expensive.”</p>
<p>Why would anyone stay on Cobra now when there are dozens of plans in the NYS marketplace which will be less expensive?</p>
<p>I haven’t checked plans in your area (which I think is Weschester) but in my area (Capital District) there are bronze family plans for as low as $400ish for a family. Staying on Cobra makes no economic sense - though I am sure there may be other reasons one may choose to stay on it. </p>
<p>“NY has one of the most expensive individual markets in the US.”</p>
<p>The cost on the individual insurance market in NY has dropped considerably because of ACA. </p>
<p>“New York’s announcement this week that insurance premiums would drop 50% next year for individuals buying their own coverage in new online marketplaces made good talking points for proponents of the Affordable Care Act, but consumers in most states are unlikely to see similar savings.”</p>
<p>[Most</a> states won’t see N.Y.'s drop in insurance rates](<a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/07/20/kaiser-new-york-insurance-premiums/2570873/]Most”>Most states won't see N.Y.'s drop in insurance rates)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Well, that explains it. The number was $48k before dstark move into the 'hood. :D</p>
<p>I’m very sorry to have derailed the thread with wrong numbers. I will be more careful next time, and check the numbers better.</p>
<p>Emiltybee, I’ve looked at all of the alternatives NYC which is where my son lives, and the prices without the ACA subsidies, that were out there about a month ago were very expensive. There was indeed no benefit for him to take the COBRA option, other than it was with a reputable company and we know what the coverage pretty much was whereas, some of the NY options were pigs in the poke, and most not much cheaper. As your reseach showed you, NY is one of the most espensive individual markets in the US, but starting next year, it won’t be. Half price drops make the COBRA option truly ludicrously high. The way the rates were as of a month ago, the COBRA rates were comptetive, right in the middle of the pack. </p>
<p>But on top of all of that my son gets a great subsidy, one of the few benefits of making very little money, so the cost of insurance for him is going to be far, far less than we had expected, so it’s a very sweet benefit for us. </p>
<p>ACA did nothing for our family costs, as we’ve now enrolled for next year on DH"s company coverage and we will be getting just about the same as we did for the same price. We did get a spike a couple of years ago. </p>
<p>The people getting hurt are those who are taking COBRA coverage and the rates for one chlld included are way up there. They are retiring or are terminated. If they could get coverage jsut for themselves and could get their college aged kid on a subsidy, it would be a lot cheaper. Which would be doable if the kid were not a college student and therefore not a dependent. Kid can’t get subsidy because he’s in college and a dependent. Insurance on the market and with kid added on COBRA with parents still very, very high. Tough go. Without ACA, the college health plan would have done the job, but many of those plans are now jacking up prices because many of those policies did not meet ACA standards. Some did not meet some crucial requirements, but others, not so much. Taking the penalty might be the affordable way to go.</p>
<p>There are poor people who live in the Bay area too. Those who make enough money to stay out of where they live, do.</p>
<p>Goldenpooch we don’t have the problem anymore. DS can get great coverage for very little in NYC now with the subsidies under ACA. So we’re rolling in the clover on this one. What we would have to pay if we weren’t under a large employer health care plan, is a whole other story, though I understand that with competition in the market place due to ACA options, the rates have dropped drastically here in NY. Not something I’ve investigated, however. My immediate issue was making sure my one son who will be off our insurance in Feb is covered. THough I’m not big in subsidizing him, healthcare is one area that I want covered and being dependent on a hospital charity fund is not something I want in the event he has some major health issues that I want addressed with the mainline healthcare, not trying to fight the “don’t have insurance” categroy. </p>
<p>Though he was better off finacially with his hurt hand, without insurance, had the hand needed extensive reconstruction and specialty care, it would have been a whole other story. The insurance he has is taken just about everywhere and has shown that it would address these sort of issues. Being a charity case or on Medicaid, I don’t know, and I don’t want to take the chance. I’ll pay for my kids’ health care premiums even when they should be paying them, to make sure they are covered.</p>
<p>And it’s worth saying that the fringes of the Bay Area are agricultural: southern Santa Cruz County and coastal San Mateo County are filled with farms. Those agricultural workers don’t make anything like $100K. I doubt that the small farmers make that amount either. We have plenty of poverty in the Bay Area :(</p>
<p>cptofthehouse, sorry, I thought from your post you were saying your son wasn’t eligible to get subsidized on the exchange. I must admit I am still a little confused.</p>
<p>“Insurance on the market and with kid added on COBRA with parents still very, very high. Tough go.”</p>
<p>Again, there are plans on and off the exchange which will be less expensive now than staying on COBRA. There is no reason, unless one is so wedded to their plan - to stay on it. COBRA is also only good for 18 months so one can not stay on it indefinitely anyway. Now there is an affordable option for them.</p>
<p>Bluebayou, the median income probably was 48,000 when I moved to Marin. Of course, that was in the early 80’s. :)</p>
<p>CF… No problem. It is a fun diversion. I am walking thru Ross right now. This is not America. We should not be making healthcare decisions based on what the residents of Ross want. Lol</p>
<p>A buyer can buy a nice house in Novato for 700000. Maybe 2,000 sq ft.</p>
<p>Cheaper than Manhattan or Silicon Valley.</p>