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right…that’s why I said most cases. You would think those without insurance, because maybe the ACA would be important to them, would know if their own state had set up an exchange…</p>
<p>It would have been nice for the federal site to list the <em>real</em> sites for the states that have their own exchanges, so people could go to them directly.</p>
<p>I’ve managed to set up a username and password, but now I’m getting to a totally blank user profile page. One step at a time…</p>
<p>geeps, MOST states do not have their own exchanges. I think I heard that only 16 states do; everyone else goes to the federal site.</p>
<p>Hugcheck. First, although Obamacare is the ostensible reason for the shutdown, the shutdown doesn’t actually affect the exchanges at all. </p>
<p>Second:</p>
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<p>The government is not providing the insurance. It is merely providing the marketplace. Once you sign up for your private insurance, the government has no more involvement. Your claims will be processed by that private insurance company, not the government.</p>
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<p>Stupid question. The vast majority of folks receive health care from their empolyer.</p>
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<p>There is no need, because they have no reason to care. (see point above)</p>
<p>Ignorant has some bad connotations to it. Some just have enough on their plates that they have not been keeping up. And 1/1/2014 still seems a while away. </p>
<p>The NY state site isn’t responding at all. I’ll have to wait till things calm down to check it out.</p>
<p>BLUEBAYOU—Only 58% OF non elderly Americans get their insurance through their employer. Hardly a VAST majority. More like a little over half.</p>
<p>leerkin- the government hired private sector companies to build the system. I know Accenture was one.</p>
<p>The funny street question was the negative reaction to Obamacare and the positive reaction to the Affordable Care Act. The latter is humane, etc. This is the world in which we live. I’ve always wondered how real JayWalking is, but people really don’t know bleep.</p>
<p>As Stephen Colbert noted last night, overwhelming demand is of course the best test that something is a failure. The real concern was that people wouldn’t check, wouldn’t apply. Remember ads have been running in some states that equate having health insurance with forced gynecological procedures and millions have been spent to dissuade people, particularly the young, from getting insurance. Or again, as Stephen Colbert noted in response to a series of clips in which talking heads noted the ACA needs young people to sign up because their premium dollars pay for those who are sick and old … that’s otherwise called “insurance”. It’s true: I buy life insurance or a warranty on my cellphone and they take my premiums and pay off others.</p>
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<p>But when you add people over 65, it does become a vast majority.</p>
<p>I had to get married to get health insurance. I therefore agree 100% with the ACA, especially in terms of giving young healthy people a chance at health insurance if they aren’t employed.</p>
<p>“But when you add people over 65, it does become a vast majority.”</p>
<p>??Aren’t most people over 65 getting their health insurance via medicare? I’d guess adding in the very low percentage of seniors getting health insurance from employers to those under 65 will make the overall percentage getting health care from employers far lower than 58%.</p>
<p>Did I misunderstand?</p>
<p>I think it’s the 58% with employer insurance plus all the 65’s on Medicare equaling the vast majority he is talking about.</p>
<p>“Most of us – 58 percent of non-elderly Americans – get health insurance through an employer, and 32 percent get government-sponsored insurance such as Medicare or Medicaid.” </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nbcnews.com/health/why-bother-other-burning-questions-about-obamacare-8C11284516[/url]”>http://www.nbcnews.com/health/why-bother-other-burning-questions-about-obamacare-8C11284516</a></p>
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<p>Bingo! Which is why “the (random) person on the street” just doesn’t care. :)</p>
<p>Covered California update:</p>
<p>I just talked to a Covered California phone rep – I asked when the site will have the full network provider lists available, and he said that they don’t know. They are being told “soon” but no specific date. So unless you are very sure of the plan you want, you’ll probably want to wait to confirm which providers are in each network. (If you are going for an HMO like Kaiser, then that probably wouldn’t be a concern). </p>
<p>(This really is a problem starting with the insurers and not the exchanges - that is, the insurance companies are responsible for knowing who is on their own network and transmitting that info to the exchange. )</p>
<p>Calmom: since you’re the resident expert here, what does a 27 year old who is a full time student and doesn’t work do for health insurance? Not eligible for a subsidy since she has no income. Living with her boyfriend who obviously can’t cover her. She’s required to have health insurance, but isn’t the penalty calculated on her tax return which she won’t file since she doesn’t have any income?</p>
<p>The penalty for the intro year is small - like $95 - and not having income doesn’t disqualify.</p>
<p>Why wouldn’t she be able to get some kind of insurance if she has NO income? Can she work a part time job?</p>
<p>3bm103, I believe most full time students can buy relatively cheap insurance through their schools.</p>
<p>3bm – here are my questions:</p>
<p>1) Does the school offer insurance? (My son is age 30, in grad school, currently on his school’s plan for grad students. Not all that cheap, but that’s what he’s got for now.) </p>
<p>2) Is the student living in a Medicaid expansion state? No income = Medicaid eligibility. My son does plan to go to the exchange- I’ve seen his tax return from last year and I know that he will qualify for Medicaid. I asked him how he felt about being on Medicaid - he says he never sees a doctor anyway, so it doesn’t matter to him – it provides the catastrophic coverage he would need. </p>
<p>3) If she is not in a medicaid expansion state, and can’t get insurance from her school, then my advice would be to claim a higher income on the forms – to claim an income just above the poverty line and qualify for a subsidized plan. She should then sign up for a Silver plan (not the Bronze I am advising for people with money). The reason she should take the Silver is that for low income people, the copays as well as the premiums are subsidized – so instead of a $45 copay when she goes to the doctor, she’d pay $3 for each doctor’s visit. </p>
<p>If she will still be in school in a year and her 2014 income remains at poverty level, then when she files a tax return for 2014 in 2015, it will be apparent that she wasn’t eligible for the subsidy. But given her income level, the worst that could happen would be that the IRS would charge her $600 in taxes to pay back the premium subsidies. (If she made lots of money they could ask for the whole amount back, but for lower income individuals the “clawback” is limited). There is no means for the IRS to ever take back the copay subsidies – that’s why it makes sense for low income individuals to opt for the silver plan.</p>
<p>Anyone know if child support (received) is counted in MAGI? If not, I’ll be forced into Medicaid - which I don’t want since I can’t find any doctors who accept it.</p>