ACA: How to get a 70% reduction in premium

[Fermion]

Ok, I have been at it again.

I have discovered that if I find a zip code that is far enough away from the cheapo AmBetter HMO that seems to be driving up the price of the Premera silver plan PPO I want, the price of my plan drops drastically.

For the Seattle area, my plan is around $300 a month after subsidy. If I change my zip code to Long Beach, WA in Pacific county, the premium drops to $100 a month after subsidy for the exact same plan (essentially you get $200 more a month subsidy).

$2400 a year just to change zip codes!

I am thinking when we sell our current house, we should try and figure out a way to be residents of Long Beach or some place on the Washington coast.

 

[wmc1000]

just checked our county and surrounding counties in indiana - only about a $5 per mo. swing among them - urban/suburban slightly less costly than rural counties it appears

 

[Fermion]

I only got the big swings when I found an area that did not have service to the cheap HMO they put on the exchange site. First I tried remote eastern Washington, but things close to Spokane still were in the mid $200 a month.

I love the coast and now am thinking we could get a little plot of land and park the RV there occasionally. $2400 a year would pay for the land in a few years, even with property tax.

Maybe a tiny home

 

[wmc1000]

Sounds like a Great plan to me!

 

[pb4uski]

Our rates are the same statewide... one of the advantages of being a small state I guess (Vermont).

 

[rodi]

As a fan of living coastal - it sounds good to me. And it doesn't look like *that* long of a drive to go to Oregon and buy big ticket things without sales tax.

 

[Fermion]

If we sell our house in Seattle and buy a small plot of land with a street address, will that be enough to establish residency there? We have nothing in any other state so I am thinking no other state can claim us and we have to reside *somewhere*.

On the DMV site it says you need a utility bill or drivers license with your current address to get your vehicle tabs in a particular county. A raw plot of land might not have a utility bill although we would have a deed and eventually a property tax notice.

 

[audreyh1]

Ok, I have been at it again.

I have discovered that if I find a zip code that is far enough away from the cheapo AmBetter HMO that seems to be driving up the price of the Premera silver plan PPO I want, the price of my plan drops drastically.

For the Seattle area, my plan is around $300 a month after subsidy. If I change my zip code to Long Beach, WA in Pacific county, the premium drops to $100 a month after subsidy for the exact same plan (essentially you get $200 more a month subsidy).

$2400 a year just to change zip codes!

I am thinking when we sell our current house, we should try and figure out a way to be residents of Long Beach or some place on the Washington coast.

Easy enough to establish residency in a new county, especially if real property is sold. Doesn't it rain a lot there?

 

[audreyh1]

If we sell our house in Seattle and buy a small plot of land with a street address, will that be enough to establish residency there? We have nothing in any other state so I am thinking no other state can claim us and we have to reside *somewhere*.

On the DMV site it says you need a utility bill or drivers license with your current address to get your vehicle tabs in a particular county. A raw plot of land might not have a utility bill although we would have a deed and eventually a property tax notice.

You can just rent an apartment or RV site in the county.

 

[Gotadimple]

Yes, you need to establish residency, and, a utility bill is the thing that confirms you have established residency.

 

[Theseus]

Yes, you need to establish residency, and, a utility bill is the thing that confirms you have established residency.

Would think there must be some latitude for that - what if one had an off-grid solar setup for electricity? Phone bill - cell phones have taken that dinosaur over. Maybe a propane or other liquid fuel delivery service receipt would work? I'm sure the RV folks have ideas on how to establish residency without a brick & mortar "home" in place.

 

[audreyh1]

Voter's registration is something that should be good enough. If you change your DL address, that might automatically carry over to voter's registration. I don't think I ever had to show anything when I changed my DL address. Maybe that has changed. From there - voter's registration, vehicle registration, insurance. Those need to all agree.

 

[Fermion]

I am really fascinated now with Ocean Shores (north of Long Beach). You can camp or park an RV on a lot for 90 days out of the year. According to the city, building permits used to be long at 5 weeks but now are about a week

$8k to $10k gets you about a quarter acre lot a short walk from the beach on a paved road with water, sewer, electricity and CILs paid in full.

 

[W2R]

Here, to put the bill for water and sewage in my name, I had to physically take closing papers from when I bought my house down to the Parish (=County) immediately after closing, in order to prove that I lived there. I think that all these bureaucratic requirements are hysterically funny, but then I have a twisted sense of humor sometimes.

Changing the address on my driver's license, car registration, and voter registration was done all at the same time, and required no proof at all. But then, this is Louisiana, [-]home of questionable voting practices[/-]"Sportsman's Paradise".

 

[jim584672]

Sounds like a Tiny House would solve it.

 

[Dash man]

Here in PA they still have an inheritance tax, and they like to go after those who change residence just to avoid taxes. We're considering moving to a more tax friendly state with warmer winters, but still retaining our home in PA for the summer months. The key items I've found besides the driver's license, utilities, property taxes and voting registration to change residency include things like involvement in community organizations, employment or volunteer work, using you new residence as primary location for insurance, car registration, credit cards, banking and for wills and estate planning. It's also key to spend more than half the year in your primary residence. For PA it's really a pain.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[bingybear]

Ethically you should use your primary address... where you are living more than 1/2 the year. But then what do you use for people who live in the north have the year and the other half in the south?
interesting concept though

 

[MichaelB]

Establishing residency in a specific location to qualify for health insurance is not a bad idea. Different pricing and policy availability across zip codes and counties is a form of underwriting that once again purports to exclude people from coverage.

There may be other consequences to the change in residency, such as taxes and registrations fees. Keep in mind that the "location advantage" only last to age 65. Once you are eligible for Medicare most of these private insurance pricing and policy differences disappear.

 

[bingybear]

I played the same exercise here. Check the hospitals and doctors that are available at your proposed new location. My test here showed that hospitals from major cities were not in network for the new location. What are your results?

 

[Fermion]

I played the same exercise here. Check the hospitals and doctors that are available at your proposed new location. My test here showed that hospitals from major cities were not in network for the new location. What are your results?

Hmm, well I chose a PPO that looked like the same one as my old zip code (Premera multi state 3000 blue cross blue shield). I am thinking the network would be the same as there is no indication it is a different insurance plan, just a larger subsidy is being provided by the exchange ($650 vs $450) for simply being in a different zip code.

 

[bingybear]

Hmm, well I chose a PPO that looked like the same one as my old zip code (Premera multi state 3000 blue cross blue shield). I am thinking the network would be the same as there is no indication it is a different insurance plan, just a larger subsidy is being provided by the exchange ($650 vs $450) for simply being in a different zip code.

My test was the same plan, but when I looked for hospitals and used the new zip, it came up with different hospitals. I will run it again to see if it had a mileage setting that limited it. The difference was huge even just below the cliff with the subsidy (subsidy doubled).

 

[bingybear]

My test was the same plan, but when I looked for hospitals and used the new zip, it came up with different hospitals. I will run it again to see if it had a mileage setting that limited it. The difference was huge even just below the cliff with the subsidy (subsidy doubled).

there was a mileage limiting list box that was off the screen when I checked first. This one looks like it will cover at other locations around here.
Now.... would I really want to move there? We actually were looking at buying land there. hmmmm.

 

[Fermion]

I am not seeing any difference in the plans...the benefit link actually looks the same when examining the same Premera plan from the different zip codes. It might be worth a call to Premera to verify this is true.

My wife just asked a good question. If you do not have a home without wheels, are you not really just considered homeless? The homeless are allowed to have insurance, vote, etc. How do they do it?

 

[omni550]

Keep in mind that the "location advantage" only last to age 65. Once you are eligible for Medicare most of these private insurance pricing and policy differences disappear.

I have not found this^^ to be the case. When I was recently shopping for age 65 Medigap (supplemental) coverage, there were all sorts of differences depending on your home location. Some plans simply weren't offered at my 'snowbird' address. And I noticed pricing changes as I played with various zip codes.

omni

 

[papadad111]

just checked our county and surrounding counties in indiana - only about a $5 per mo. swing among them - urban/suburban slightly less costly than rural counties it appears

Which county in Indiana ? Healthcare in that state seems way more expensive vs other areas of the USA. Guess more Medicaid enrolled or just fewer service providers.