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Obamacare - Rushlover

Posted: May 18, 2015

Has anyone been able to make any sense of Obamacare as a replacement for the lovely Nuance BCBS health insurance? Can we qualify for Obamacare if we QUIT our job at Nuance? I am hoping that falls into some sort of special enrollment period.

Thanks and BEST OF LUCK to all you special, highly talented QCEs and MLSs.

Obamacare - Effie

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't know all the rules for Obamacare but I do know that you can do a special enrollment at any time if you are LAID OFF.. I don't know about if you quit or are fired.

Keep this in mind.... - ....

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It doesn't matter if you quit, are fired, or laid off IF you don't have any other income (ie from a spouse)...you would qualify for Medicaid (or MediCal in CA), which is open enrollment year round.

What happened to me when I quit a job last year (I'm single, no other income) is that I went on the health exchange and applied. Since my income was 0 I qualified for MediCal. You can't just buy a policy (i.e. Sharp, Kaiser)...you have to accept MediCal. It's better than nothing, but I don't use mine as I hate the choices that I have, which are basically clinics in crappy areas of town that I wouldn't venture into. I keep it for now for emergencies and that is all. Once I'm working again, I'll take my employer's insurance over MediCal ANY DAY.

I'm on MediCal, and I find it to be pretty much - the same as my old insurance.

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The doctor and medical center they sent me to is nearby, and I like both. Necessary daily medications are FREE at the pharmacy.

Here's a question, however: Next year I'll be old enough for Medicare. If I'm still unemployed and on MediCal, what happens then? Do they just keep you on MediCal, or do they transition you over to Medicare?

And what about the Part B, or whatever that thing is you have to pay for? Are you on Medicare plus MediCal for the Part B?

I think - Sm

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Medicare takes over as your primary and whatever Medicare doesn't cover, MediCal will, so I think MediCal covers part B since you qualify for it.

Thanks for answering my question! - :)

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X

I'm "only" 50 so not ready for MediCare yet... - unfortunately, LOL....

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But I think you would go to MediCare at 65. If it were me, I'd GLADLY and gratefully move to MediCare. I am NOT happy with what MediCal signed me up for: HealthNet. Can I ask what your health provider is? HealthNet? Molina? I think there were only a few choices in CA. Maybe if I switched away from HealthNet I'd be happy. There are NO female gynecologists for HealthNet surprisingly.

I don't seem to be with any specific HMO. - I just go to the local county medical -

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center, and they have my MediCal number on file there. Same with the pharmacy. So far, so good!

Maybe you have what they call "straight" MediCal - ....

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Thanks for your answer :)

To answer your question - If you quit

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I quit many months ago and immediately applied for the Affordable Care Act insurance. My state doesn't have their own plan, so it's just the federal one through Healthcare.gov.

Anyway, because I had made so little through Nuance, not only did I qualify for the tax credits which lower your monthly payment, there's another program that allows you to have "special" plans made available to you with even lower deductibles and such. I can tell you that I now pay half of what the insurance was through Screwance and my deductible was $500. As in, once I hit $500, I didn't have to pay any more. I've finally been able to go to the doctor!!!!

My recommendation is to call and fill out the application by phone. SO much easier than online (the questions online can be a bit confusing since you quit, as opposed to were laid off or haven't been employeed for a while).

I just happened to be looking something else up on here and thought... "I'll check the Nuance board and see how bad it still is..." and saw this. So I hope it helps!

Thanks! Most helpful! - Rushlover

[ In Reply To ..]
Glad you read my question. Greatly appreciated :)

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