<p>An estimate is an estimate, I don’t see how you can be held accountable for one. You could just as easily assume she’ll be hired FT by her current employer as you could that she’ll get a job with some other one for $x. It’s all a guess, no?</p>
<p>Thanks. What you’re saying makes sense. We’ll see what the Problem-solvers at healthcare.gov have to say.</p>
<p>IllinoisMom – first of all, I don’t mean this in a critical way, but I think it is a mistake for you to be entering your daughter’s information – at least on the California exchange web site information is entered under penalty of perjury. (so I think it might be a felony in our state for someone to enter the system posing as someone else). </p>
<p>I know you want to help, but if your daughter is in grad school, it is something she should be able to do on her own. Also, if she is currently covered by university insurance that you are happy with, or is still under age 26 and on your policy, then she still has plenty of time. In fact, I think that if she is covered on a college plan, then the loss of that plan at graduation is one of the circumstances that will let her enroll on the exchange outside the open enrollment period.</p>
<p>I know that you meant well and you had her permission, but this is just one of those things that a young adult should be handling on her own, unless there is some sort of disability that stands in the way.</p>
<p>As to the rest, I think it is a mistake to try to estimate the future income. I think the easier/better approach is to simply enter current income (unless it returns too low to qualify for coverage in a non-Medicaid expansion state) – and then opt NOT to take the subsidy. Your daughter would still get a tax refund if it turns out that she qualifies later – but there is absolutely no harm that can come from putting in financial info that qualifies her for a subsidy and opting to wait. The system is structured so that she can update the income info at any time – so if and when she secures post-graduate employment, she can then log in. </p>
<p>If you QUALIFY for a large subsidy but DON’T TAKE IT – then I think it will be relatively easy to change things if there are financial setbacks during the year. For example – maybe she has a harder time getting a job than expected, or maybe she’s offered a great job but it doesn’t start for several months, and she decided to take some time off in the interim. Then, with more info in hand, she would be able to log in and change her options – maybe take that subsidy after all to help tide things over.</p>
<p>In theory it should be just as easy the other way around, but here is the difference: right now she has income that “qualifies” - no questions asked. She probably will be able to log in at any time and simply change her payment options effective with the next premium due. If she (you) overestimate her income, and then she comes into the system in 6 months wanting to get a subsidy to match her real income – she may need to submit documentation and wait for a determination. That could be a lot more cumbersome.</p>
<p>
Not so needless, but it’s not the income will get you in trouble – it’s entering data into a system while pretending to be someone else.</p>
<p>If the system gave you the option of identifying yourself as a parent acting on behalf of a dependent child, then I apologize for my mistaken assumptions. If not, and you just breezed past the questions acting as if you were her, then let’s just say that someone who did that potentially could be in very big trouble. You probably won’t be because your daughter isn’t going to report it, but it is a factual misrepresentation that is every bit as serious as any other mistake or misrepresentation that could be made in the application process.</p>
<p>I suspect that many folks will be checking multiple scenarios for quotes. While it may be an ethical question mark to get an auto insurance or health insurance quote online at a broker and have them send your adult children information, it does border on something different in the exchange. You are inputting data into a federal form. As a parent that filled out FAFSA for my kids for a bunch of years, it is pretty normal and expected that parents will do this either alone or with their dependent child. Is a 22 or 23 year old always more knowledgable about legal forms than a “dependent” child, on say, FAFSA? </p>
<p>The question with adults who are not quite 26 and who can still be on a parent’s policy, well - it is not out of the realm of expectation that you might crunch numbers for family, with or without those adult kids on the policy. See what numbers come up better. You might do this a number of times. </p>
<p>In this day and age where parents are often closer with their adult children - dependent and independent, the lines blur. Kids rely on parents more than my generation did at the same age. </p>
<p>Just today my kid sent me her lease agreement to review. I have more knowledge and experience than she does and can make sense if things that are foreign and new to her. </p>
<p>In many ways, I do not think it is that different for this parent trying to assist their adult son or daughter with the ACA. Everything is so new and complicated. Figuring out whether it would be better to be on exchange, or buy from a broker or go on a family policy might take some time to assess. I have heard estimates that it might take 15-18 visits before people purchase a policy on visits like ehealth. i doubt if it would be different for an exchange. Shoppers are not buyers, they are browsing until they click the button and say yes. </p>
<p>Also creating an account is not the same thing as signing up for insurance - correct?</p>
<p>You can price check and compare policies without setting up an account. </p>
<p>Setting up the account requires provision of info like social security number, and once an account is created it may be impossible for the holder of that SS number to create a different one for themselves. One of the reason the online registration has been running so slowly is because it is set up to auto-verify info that is submitted online. </p>
<p>I understand about parents logging in to complete the FAFSA for 17 year old. I think it is ridiculous to expect high schoolers to fill out the FAFSA on their own when most of the questions are asking about the parents’ income and assets. </p>
<p>But the health care system is different. A dependent child of any age ordinarily would not be applying on their own, as dependency status disqualifies them from seeking subsidies. The system is geared to adults buying insurance for themselves.</p>
<p>The way the system is working (or not) right now there are probably already multiple duplicate accounts in there. Perhaps, they can fix it.</p>
<p>Did you hear about the guy who got a bill for $95.00 when he declined to purchase insurance. No idea if it’s true…but it’s funny!</p>
<p>^ Isnt that the amount of the tax penalty for not buying/having insurance?</p>
<p>calmom, duly noted. However, I don’t see much distinction between me filling out the form in consultation with her and an insurance broker or a Navigator doing it with her. I am merely a transcriber. She will be the one to hit the submit button and to choose her own coverage. </p>
<p>I wish we could compare plans without setting up an account. Unfortunately, in the State of Illinois, you cannot see what subsidy you qualify for until you apply for coverage. You can only compare the pre-subsidy cost of plans before applying. And even then you can’t see any plan details such as deductibles, copays, max out of pockets expenses, etc. Just the plan name and the price with no subsidy. </p>
<p>Thank you for the income estimation advice. She ages off our insurance one week before Jan 1st. She could sign up for her college plan that begins Jan 13th. Since we are going to have to get her a temporary policy, continuing it until the 13th should not be a problem, if she decides to go with the school’s policy.</p>
<p>I have questions about its’ coverage though. Do college policies not have to follow the ACA requirements? This policy has a $500K limit, so it doesn’t meet the minimum essential coverage rule, right?</p>
<p>I also appreciate your advice on whether or not to take the subsidy immediately. This is the type of information that a young subscriber needs and would be hard pressed to find on the website. </p>
<p>Samurai, I agree. Expecting a 25 year old who has never had to deal with insurance costs and coverages to be able to fully grasp what is involved on the exchange when financially savvy adults with years of insurance experience are having a hard time making heads or tails of the multitude of options available seems unrealistic. I am trying to walk her through the process and provide insight where warranted. </p>
<p>As far as I know, creating an account and purchasing a policy are two different things. But here in the great State of Illinois, you have to create an account to be able to see what subsidies you qualify for and the plan details.</p>
<p>“Also creating an account is not the same thing as signing up for insurance - correct?”</p>
<p>That’s what I think. Why would someone get in big trouble for creating an account, but not applying? Great, just what we need, the feds going after parents for creating an account because that’s what they think they need to do to check prices for their kids.</p>
<p>I see no issue on helping kids with this. Look at all the trouble that we, experienced adults have trying to figure it out.</p>
<p>The didn’t want to scare people off with high policy prices without making sure they knew what kind of subsidies they qualified for first. Hence, the logjam. For us, the school policy beats anything ACA by far in every possible way imaginable. Good luck!</p>
<p>As an aside, I tried calling to find out why my daughter’s dental insurance was halted or changed last week and they would tell me nothing because she is 18. Well, she was 16 when we bought it and she doesn’t pay the bill so why in the world can I not be given this info. Good grief, I just wanted to make her a cleaning appointment over winter break. Sigh!</p>
<p>Today at WalMart there was an OBAMACARE table near the entrance. It had one customer in over an hour and who knows if they actually signed up.</p>
<p>At my place of work, it’s yearly insurance renewal time. Costs have gone up (not a huge amount) for a variety of reasons. It was pointed out that 2.5% of the increase was due to the ACA.</p>
<p>“Today at WalMart there was an OBAMACARE table near the entrance. It had one customer in over an hour and who knows if they actually signed up.”</p>
<p>There are 11,000 walmart stores. If each store signed up 5 people a day… And remember families are multiple people, we would get to the 7 million people needed for ACA to work. Just 1 sign up a day will get us 20 percent there. :)</p>
<p>
Some but not all. They do have to provide all the essential benefits. However, they are allowed to have a policy cap. Here’s a good page with FAQs: [Affordable</a> Care Act and Student Health Insurance](<a href=“http://www.acha.org/Topics/Affordable_Care_Act/FAQs_for_IndividualCoverageClassification.cfm]Affordable”>http://www.acha.org/Topics/Affordable_Care_Act/FAQs_for_IndividualCoverageClassification.cfm)</p>
<p>My son is in a similar situation – also in grad school, will graduate this year, but he’s older and already on the university plan. I think he’ll be going on Medicaid for the interim. He feels it doesn’t matter for him because he never goes to the doctor --so in his mind the Medicaid is serving the function of catastrophic coverage.</p>
<p>
I think that this depends on the individual. I’m just assuming that if your daughter will complete a graduate degree in the spring, there’s a substantial likelihood that she will get a very well paying job in June – probably one that provides insurance – but even if not, it will push her income for the year up, and she’d end up owing back at least part of any subsidy she received for the first 6 months. At her age, that might not be a whole lot anyway – when you see the actual numbers she’ll be in a better position to decide. I don’t know if you are still providing financial support or not, but obviously that’s a factor as well. (I mean, who is really paying the premium for the first 6 months – you, or her?)</p>
<p>However, it is likely that her low income will qualify her for a cost-sharing Silver plan (with lower copays) – so that might be a benefit that is worth having. I’m not absolutely sure, but I believe that she can opt for those plans without taking the advance tax credit – then she would have the benefit of a reduced deductible and lower copays, which don’t have to be paid back later.</p>
<p>The Covered California site took down it’s list of providers when major inaccuracies were discovered. Things like opthamologists being listed as obstetricians… They don’t know when an accurate searchable list will be available. Who is going to buy insurance when they can’t find out this basic information?</p>
<p>I noticed the database issues on Covered California and I think it was an import glitch – I’ve had those things happen myself. One corrupt field in a large database can pretty much throw everything else off. It’s also a problem with the insurance companies – Blue Shield has told me that the list on their web site is current and accurate – but I’m finding it impossible to get a straight answer from Anthem. (I’d just go with BS but for the fact that Anthem’s policy is $50/less for me – I think I should at least check that out)</p>
<p>Calmom said exactly what I was thinking, use the student income, do not accept the premium subsidy, but do use the CSR benefits. When the income increases, be sure to enter that change on your exchange.</p>
<p>now, being extremely careful to avoid any political discussion, it appears a slight change to the ACA will require incomes to be verified before people can apply for subsidies. So, the original method was simply estimate income or enter numbers into the website and subsidies would be based on your entered numbers, but now what? Will they have to check 2012 tax returns? I guess we might have to wait and see how this plays out. My 2012 income was just barely too high to qualify for subsidies but my 2014 income will be much lower. Wonder how or if I will be asked to verify that.</p>
<p>Moderator’s Note:</p>
<p>I suggest there be no speculation on the new rule until some documentation is issued at which point it can be debated.</p>