Your welcome. My life in the past 10 years has involved wading (sometimes kicking) health insurance regs. I’m down to one kid on our health insurance. The older ones have run the gambit from Medicaid, Cobra,Medicaid expansion, ACA Market Place, two states w/o Medicaid expansion with their own plans, various employer plans. My kids have been playing Musical Health Insurance big time. Oldest changing jobs again!
Any ideas on solutions for my oldest son, who is a college freshman this year, when he turns 19 in April and ages out of Medicaid? Even though he is relatively healthy, things can happen and I would hate for him to be unable to seek medical attention. I’m not aware of any insurance offered through his university, just student health services for minor issues.
“If he’s eligible for Medicaid, he can get it anytime. For ACA plans, he has to be within a time period of some transition in life.”
Agree with Cardinal Fang that Medicaid would be the way to go if in an expansion state. And if so, his income would be too low to go ACA, which should be available otherwise since getting kicked off of a family plan is a “change in life” event.
I must say, though, that I have an issue with programs like AmeriCorps and similar programs that pay so poorly and don’t provide benefits and encourage their workers to sign up for Medicaid, SNAP, and other government support to survive. They should pay a living wage and benefits.
Living wage? It didn’t even pay minimum wage. It’s a hybrid service, training program , though very much a job. At end of service, a grant is made available to either use to pay student loans or for future education.
Unlike Teach For America, where the participants are teaching, Americorp members are assisting. They are not employees of the school and that demarcation is very clear, discernible immediately due to the uniform worn.
A great benefit the program gave my kid was that he became a viable candidate for better than entry level jobs after a year of service with Americorp. He didn’t find jobs that paid him a living wage before that experience.
But, yes, the pay is sub par, and the program does direct participants to…welfare programs.
That suggests that the true market clearing entry level pay for the type of job is below that of a living wage and benefits that would not require employees to sign up for welfare benefits. One can make an analogy to unpaid internships in some kinds of jobs.
Lots of people on these forums have decried the increasingly competitive pre-professional emphasis in college these days. But when the current generation faces much more expensive educational costs to enter entry-level jobs, but some of those entry level jobs are paid very poorly, it is not surprising that those without substantial parental support into young adulthood do not have the luxury of not having to consider pre-professional factors in choosing college, major, and career directions.
Alabama is not an expansion state and I am not eligible for medicaid, so I would think that if he is considered an adult that he won’t be eligible either since he is part of my household. It mentioned chip, but I think that is only for children so probably not an option. I have tried the marketplace for myself and it didn’t come up with any affordable plans. My income is too low to qualify for a subsidy, so nothing was even close to affordable. I can’t add him to mine since I am uninsured and his father is on disability and medicare so he can’t add him either.
You have probably gone through this before with the Market place but perhaps you can try again for next year. In order to get the subsidy for an ACA plan, you and your son have to show reason to believe that the two of you will have an Income of at least $16,910. Non taxable Social security benefits count towards that income . Your son’s Income is only counted if he is required to file a tax return.
Those states, like Alabama, without Medicaid expansion have this gap
A way to get around the minimum income is to show reason that the income is possible by having a January income of 1/12 of the $16910, or $1409 which can then qualify you for the subsidy for that month , which then qualifies you for the year even if you fall short for the whole year. read the instructions to IRS Form 8962, particular line 6 which addresses the situation. Do go to a center that specializes in dealing with getting market place insurance. You probably have done this before, but press the rep there about how you can qualify for the credit and ins even though you fell under the amount in 2029. The qualification is not based on income for the prior year but projected income for the upcoming year. Arm your self by reading the 8962 Instructions thoroughly, particularly line 6 exceptions to minimum income. You are likely to have to have the rep call a manager to help.
I’ve been through this in Wisconsin and Texas. Wi has a Medicaid type plan so it was not an issue, but TX was tough.
Good luck, and Im sorry that this system is ridiculous as it is to have this gap.