After more than a month of trying every day several times a day, I finally got signed in to the Healthcare.gov website and set up my account. I went through all the steps of putting in all the information, and at the end, I was emailed a PDF file with the results.
The results of my efforts are that I do not make enough money to be eligible for help purchasing a healthcare insurance policy. You see, you have to put in how much money you will get per month at the start of 2014. On January 1, 2014, Fabgrandpa and I will have exactly two sources of income. He gets Social Security in the amount of $894 per month, and I get a pension from AT&T in the amount of $429 a month.
For two people making that little bit of income, there is no provision in the Affordable Health Care Act to assist in purchasing a health insurance policy. The program that would have provided a stop-gap to help those who are making under the poverty line income was the Medicaid program, which is administered by the states. The State of Georgia, where I happen to life, has opted out of the expanded Medicaid option, leaving me as a living breathing human being with no option for my health care, save one.
Quote from my eligibility response:
Review the table below with your eligibility results. Karen Eidson – Based on the information you provided, the
new federal health care law provides that you could be eligible for free or low cost health care through
COMPASS. However, the state of GA has chosen not to offer you this new health care coverage at this time.
That one option that I have, from the official denial of eligibility from the federal government health insurance plan, is that I have the option to go to a community health care center for my healthcare needs. Here is the quote from that section of my results notification:
The health care law has expanded funding to community health centers, which provide primary care for millions of Americans. These centers provide services either for free or on a sliding scale based on your income. Learn more about getting care at a community health center on HealthCare.gov.
OK, that sounds simple enough, right? Well, a couple of months ago when I had to go to the WOCN to have someone look at my stoma because it was getting infected, I had to fill out paperwork to apply for financial assistance from the community health care center. Fabgrandpa and I had to provide proof of all our financials–all our bills and all of our income. The end result of that venture was for them to tell us that were were denied assistance for my healthcare because WE MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY.
So, which is it, government people? Do we make too much or do we make not enough? Either way, I am the person with the medical problems who can not get in to see a doctor.
Now, with all that being said, I can opt to fill out the Healthcare.gov again whenever, if ever, I am approved for disability. I am at the point of waiting for a hearing where I can go before a Social Security Judge. IF I am approved for disability, the income I would receive from that would put us over the bottom line of poverty enough to make me eligible to buy a health insurance policy through the Affordable Health Care Act. From what I have been told by the attorney who is handling my case, that could be another three or four months, so lets just say I am looking at end of February to apply again.
If I am turned down for disability, then I have to wait until I am 62 to be able to start drawing my Social Security. I will be 62 in May, so with the application and the waiting for the income, then lets say that I am looking at June or July to be able to get health insurance coverage. It might not sound like a long time to some people, but to me, it seems like forever. I need health care NOW. I have been waiting since June of 2012.
And since every time I am in a group of people who start discussing health care and social aid of any kind, the talk ALWAYS turns ugly, at least to me, with people saying that it is lazy people, people who are unwilling to work, scum of the earth, who are the people who do not have health insurance because they won’t get out there and get a job. Well, I HAD a job that provided health care. I was laid off from that job when I was 46, and when the money ran out, so did the health insurance. Just because you CAN purchase your health insurance through the COBRA plan or whatever, if you can’t find a job making the money you need to be able to pay your bills, it is hard or impossible to come up with the $1200 premium you would have to pay to keep your insurance.
So, I lost my health insurance in 1996. Ever since then, I have not worked on or been offered a job that offered health insurance as a benefit. That is NOT saying that I have NOT WORKED. I worked some hard jobs, some easy jobs. Not all employers offer health insurance to their employees. So, you can be just as hard working as the next person and still not have any health insurance. So many people in this country need to stop judging everyone by their own personal experience. Just because you are one of the ones whose employer provides your insurance plan, doesn’t mean that the person sitting next to you has that same benefit.
So, there you have it. What the Affordable Health Care Act is going to do for me. Nada. Zip. At least not right now. So, if you can still get insurance, be happy.
Dee says
Well said.
I’m on SSDI for rheumatoid arthritis and it took me a couple of years to get approved. Once I was approved the judge said I qualified from the date I first applied. Now every time someone in Washington talks about cutting entitlement programs they lump Social Security, SSDI and Medicare into that category. WRONG!!! SSDI is “Social Security Disability Insurance” Get that last word, INSURANCE. I worked over 30 years paying into Social Security and Medicare so if/when the time came and I needed either or both I’d be able to collect so it’s not an entitlement.
I do agree with you though, people need to get off their high horse. It’s true that some people take advantage of the system and know all the angles, lie and cheat to get something for nothing but most people are honest, hard working and life just won’t give them a break.
Pam says
You need to be raising HELL with the state of Georgia. It is ridiculous for these states to be playing politics with people’s lives! Call and write your state senators and Governor! Heck, even Jan Brewer in Arizona and Kasich in Ohio gave in and accepted the expanded Medicaid offer when they realized they would only be hurting their own citizens. Seriously, Karen, DO NOT accept this. The states that are refusing this are some of the poorest states in the country. This is unconscionable.
There are provisions in the ACA for people in your situation but the federal government can not force the states to do the right thing. When the state politicos start hearing from people like you, maybe they will pull their heads out of their butts and realize that their stupid, tea party politics is KILLING people. I’m sorry, but this just infuriates me. Good luck!
Gaelyn says
This totally sucks.
All I got was an onsite message that said I was eligible then couldn’t get any further. Guess I’d better go back.
Kiersten @ OMV says
How very frustrating. 🙁 I went many years without health insurance also because it was hard to get a full-time job in the field I worked in (and I had no experience doing anything else, so I can’t switch careers at that point). I worked 40 hours a week, but they called me a temp (even though I worked there for 3 years!), so no benefits for me. The only reason I have healthcare now is because I’m covered under my husband’s insurance! I hope things work out for you…
Bev says
We knew this darned ACA was a ruse! We worked for the government long enough to know that when they get their fingers into something, it is not always a good thing. Aside from that…Jim just told me that he heard on the news that when you plugged in your earnings per month, the computer read it as earnings per year and they have since fixed it. Did you try again?
Karen says
Bev, the yearly amount was correct. This is why we are still hoping that I am approved for disability because it would make things better for us all around.
Kim L says
Karen, Wow the HealthCare System is a mess!
Write your local State Representatives, the White House, your Governor, Etc…. Let them know the issues you are facing. I know it may seem it wont make a difference, but I can tell you from my experience it can make a difference. That was how I was able to find my ex and make him start paying child support years ago, only I had to go higher up because our local law enforcement could not find him for 2 years. Finally someone came from another county with a different DA and within 1 week arrested him and since them I started get my child support. (Right now he is behind though so having to go to court soon over that). Also I get SSI. And I wrote the White House letting them know that I didn’t think it was fair they were counting my Child Support as income. After two years the Social Security Office contacted me that they made a mistake and now they owe me money for those years they calculated my SSI benefits wrong. The government is for the people and by the people. We need to speak out when we feel we are being unjustly treated. Thanks so much for sharing you story. People need to know this! I hope you get everything worked out!
Dianna @ Oy Vey a Day says
I am so sorry that you are dealing with this. Thanks for sharing your experience – and for pointing out that your inability to get insurance is both the fault of those who crafted ACA (mostly democrats) as well as the states (like GA) that are more concerned about proving they are REPUBLICAN states than caring for their citizens.
While ACA is by no means perfect, it becomes even less perfect when politicians spend all of their time fighting against it rather than trying to figure out how to use it to help their constituents.
Linda says
I’m sure there are many stories just like yours about ACA (or as I like to call it, the Un-Affordable Care Act).
Isn’t it just ridiculous that you don’t make enough money to get tax credit for ACA yet you make too much for a reduced rate at the Community Clinic? Something is so wrong with this picture. I guess if you’re getting an infection you’d better head to the emergency room whether you can pay the bill or not. Or get some of those fish antibiotics the preppers talk about on their web sites, though I’m a little leery of that one. Good luck.
P.S. Just so you know, the states didn’t reject the Medicaid deal to be mean to people. They knew that for the first three years the feds would pay 90% then it went lower after that and within a few years the states would have to foot most of the bill. A lot of states are already in financial trouble and really can’t afford an added Medicare burden. I think I read something about being “newly” eligible too, so if you had been eligible before ACA & hadn’t applied, then you were no longer eligible anyway, even if your state went along with the increased Medicare. Lots of boondoggles in this whole thing.
Jo says
Feeling like it’s always chicken or feathers — people who need it can’t get it, people who don’t need it pay too much and don’t even use it.
Hubby and I are going to apply for a subsidy to pay most of ours because our income is low.
Preliminary indications is that it will cost us less than what we pay now.
We are in a different state/area than you are, but our income is low enough that it qualifies us for subsidy’s that pay “most” of the cost.
Susie S says
Well Nancy Pelosi said they had to pass it before they could find out what was in it and so far it stinks and is going to get stinkier! Fabgrandma I feel for you. I hope you can get help soon.
Robin Wilson says
These new healthcare laws that were supposed to help me, have done nothing! Absolutely nothing! I too have been unable to get my disability and even with a lawyer for this round of appeals I have been waiting for my hearing to be scheduled for almost a year now. My hubs’ heal insurance for 2014 has increased while the coverage has decreased. Not good for someone like me who has a ton of specialists that I am supposed to be seeing, but can’t because even with his insurance we cannot afford the co-pays.
I am stunned that you are in such a position! Thanks a lot fed gov’t!