With all the recent talk of the ACA I decided to look into how it would affect my father. The information I have found has indicated that he will not only be in the same poor position that he is in currently but now he will also have to pay a $95 fee for 2014.
My disabled father which is on several medications (that he no longer takes because he cannot afford them) and had serious heart disease received medicaid for free in 2012 but in 2013 he started to receive his social security checks ($8900 annually, his only income). This made him ineligible for free medicaid. Now to receive medical assistance under medicaid he has to pay a monthly premium of $168 for any month that he wishes to be covered. While this seems like a bargain at only $168 a month a person trying to live on $8900 annually it is an impossible hurdle.
With the ACA it seems that his income puts him into the medicaid bracket since he cannot afford insurance and his income is so low. Missouri however is refusing to expand the medicaid program under the ACA so it would seem he is left with the same choice. Pay $168 a month or live without any type of medical coverage. To make matters worse it seems he will be required to pay a $95 annual fee in 2014 which more than triples in 2015 and continues to increase each year for not being insured. If the information that I have gathered is correct it would seem the ACA will in fact make his situation worse and not better. I thought it was about helping those that could not afford health care and not increasing their financial burden?
My question to the community: is my understanding correct or do I have something wrong?
My disabled father which is on several medications (that he no longer takes because he cannot afford them) and had serious heart disease received medicaid for free in 2012 but in 2013 he started to receive his social security checks ($8900 annually, his only income). This made him ineligible for free medicaid. Now to receive medical assistance under medicaid he has to pay a monthly premium of $168 for any month that he wishes to be covered. While this seems like a bargain at only $168 a month a person trying to live on $8900 annually it is an impossible hurdle.
With the ACA it seems that his income puts him into the medicaid bracket since he cannot afford insurance and his income is so low. Missouri however is refusing to expand the medicaid program under the ACA so it would seem he is left with the same choice. Pay $168 a month or live without any type of medical coverage. To make matters worse it seems he will be required to pay a $95 annual fee in 2014 which more than triples in 2015 and continues to increase each year for not being insured. If the information that I have gathered is correct it would seem the ACA will in fact make his situation worse and not better. I thought it was about helping those that could not afford health care and not increasing their financial burden?
My question to the community: is my understanding correct or do I have something wrong?