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We had the same experience with cash prices versus exchange negotiated rates.

We regarded the ACA as bankruptcy insurance rather than health insurance. One good thing about the ACA for us was that it was so expensive (for limited coverage) that Medicare seems like a screaming bargain to us (for much more comprehensive care). I do wonder about the blowback when the many...

In 2018 Blue Cross said they would not be providing ACA insurance in Georgia. This put the state in a bad place as Blue Cross had been the only provider in many parts of the state. After some negotiations and arm -twisting Blue Cross agreed to provide ACA insurance but only in the areas which...

If all that you have are HMOs you might want to look very carefully at the network provided. In my state we only have narrow network HMOs. Our coverage area for our last plan was our county and one other county. The rest of the USA was out of network with emergency room coverage only. If you...

My understanding of the ACA plan deductibles is that they will continue to rise as long as the underlying cost of healthcare rises. If MRIs, X-rays and drugs are more expensive than the previous year the deductibles will rise as well. The reason is that the different level plans must keep...

We still have one for 911 calls. Calling 911 from a cell phone in our area routes your call to an answering machine in a neighboring county. Using VOIP for 911 results in the same problem. We live basically on a county line and seem to be between cell towers. Our HOA reminds us frequently to...

No, her subsidy will be reduced because ACA considers the whole family's income even if only one person needs ACA insurance.

If you don't qualify for Medicare you can stay on an ACA policy and probably still receive a subsidy. However, in my state you would only have a choice of narrow network HMOs on the ACA. Paying for Medicare might be a better option.

So the 6% cap on premium increases doesn't start until 2024? I also live in Georgia and have that drug plan.

Yes, Medicare is a screaming bargain for us as well. We were paying full freight for ACA plans. The last year that we were both on ACA was $18,000 in premiums and a $7500 per person deductible. We did not consider it health insurance, but rather bankruptcy insurance. The other marvelous...

I didn't do this and had all sorts of problems dropping my husband's coverage and keeping mine. The solution seems to be signing up as a family and then putting different family members in different groups. Evidently there is a place in the ACA application to separate your family into groups...

I would strongly suggest that when you sign up for the ACA later this year, you get separate policies for you and your wife. Doing so will enable you to drop your ACA policy when you go on Medicare without endangering your wife's continuing ACA coverage.

The robustness of ACA coverage is highly dependent on your home state. In my state ACA plans are only narrow network HMO plans. If your wife has ongoing medical needs or you plan to travel outside of your area in retirement COBRA may provide better coverage. It won't be cheap, but it will...

For the high deductible plan that didn't qualify as an HSA, my understanding is that HSAs have a maximum deductible each year that is also the maximum out of pocket. If the other plan had a higher deductible that may be why it didn't qualify as an HSA. Second, my understanding is that, other...

Available ACA plans vary widely by state. In my area (Atlanta suburbs) ACA only offers HMO plans and none of them are nationwide. However the deductible for the HSA plans are less than the deductible for the regular bronze plans, so that is something else to consider. Also check the maximum...

You are correct for spousal benefits but I think that for ex-spouse benefits the former spouse does not need to be collecting for the ex-spouse to get a benefit. Also there is no ilimit to the number of ex-spouses who can collect on the same record. My father was married five times and had four...

We are in Georgia and took the approach talked about by GATime. We did COBRA as long as we could and then switched to the ACA HMOs. We paid out of pocket for our long time care providers when necessary(sometimes they were in-network). We did find that the cash prices for our providers was...

If you do nothing you will automatically be signed up for the same ACA policy you are on now. You don't have to call them - they are happy to take your money.

On many of my ACA plans emergency room care was covered out of state, but hospital care, even if related to the emergency, was not covered.

I would also recommend checking the network on the ACA policies. In our state all of the policies are narrow network HMOs with no out of state coverage. If you are planning any travel outside of your state or local area, you might feel more comfortable with the coverage COBRA provides despite...

Maybe the original poster needs to define what a subpar health plan is. The ACA plans cover mandated benefits, can't be cancelled if you get sick, and are available to most Americans. However, in my state, every single ACA plan is an HMO, most of them very narrow network HMOS. They have no out...

I think that I read on a previous thread about these visits that the companies are looking to diagnose you with more conditions and thus be reimbursed for your care by Medicare at a higher rate.

I second the recommendation to involve your congressman or senator. They have staff who only deal with IRS problems. We have used them for two years in a row and they were very helpful. No good news on the wait, as both years it took 11 months for the problems to be sorted out. We have had...

We have an age 65 property tax reduction in my county. You no longer have to pay the school taxes which are 80% of the bill. However, you can only get this break if you are 65 and you don't have any 18 or under kids at home. Quite a few people were having grandparents move in and putting the...

We had the opposite experience with insurance company payouts to providers. We had ACA for 6 years. My husband wanted to stay with his primary care physician whether or not he was in network. I saved the EOBs and found that when the doc was in-network for our Blue Cross plan we got a 60%...