COVID-19 & Healthcare

Questions for Martha McSally: Jim Nintzel doesn’t get an answer either – again

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In this new series, "Questions for Martha McSally," we pose questions to the McSally campaign about her positions on current hot topics — I am not going to give her a free pass until after the GOP primary like our local media did in 2012.

ChickenbunkerJim Nintzel of the Tucson Weekly and host of the Arizona Illustrated political roundtable tried to get Martha McSally to take a position on the current hot topic of gay marriage and "ObamaCare" and – suprise! – McSally is still hiding in the bunker with no ready answer to substantive questions. This is one incredibly ill-informed and ill-prepared candidate for someone who has been running for office since 2010. In Sickness and in Health:

What about gay marriage? Are you evolving on that at all?

Am I evolving on that?

A lot of people seem to be evolving on that. You said last time out that you supported a constitutional amendment to limit marriage to one man and one woman. Now we have it in all these states.

I believe it's primarily a state issue. When you're answering these surveys, sometimes it's a "yes/no" question when really it should be an essay answer that's appropriate.

HHS: The Health Insurance Marketplace: What You Need to Know

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services posted this blog post to assist consumers with HealthCare.gov at http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/blog/2013/12/marketplace-what-you-need-toknow.html.

The Health Insurance Marketplace: What You Need to Know

Posted December 4, 2013

Since it launched in October, we have made dramatic improvements to HealthCare.gov, taking it from a system that didn’t perform nearly as well as it should, to one that can help you learn about your new health insurance options, create an account, learn about financial help you may be able to receive, compare your options and select a plan.   If you’ve tried HealthCare.gov and been unsatisfied with your experience, or if you’ve been wondering if you’re eligible for a more affordable option under the health care law, here are some tips for you.  Remember, you MUST enroll in a plan by December 23, and pay your premium, to get coverage on January 1, 2014.   

Haven’t tried yet?  Review your options.

See Plans Before I ApplyWe have added a new feature to healthcare.gov that lets you “window shop” for the types of coverage as well as discounts on premiums and other costs that might be available to you.  Log on to healthcare.gov and click “See Plans.”  You’ll only need to answer a few simple questions to see detailed information about each Marketplace health insurance plan offered in your state – before you apply.  Using this new tool you can compare plans, understand covered benefits, review physician and hospital networks, and more – before you login or complete an application.

Consumers can now window shop on HealthCare.gov

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Consumer Reports posts Hooray! You can now window shop on HealthCare.gov.

Quietly late last night, HealthCare.gov acquired an incredibly useful new feature. Without logging in or even creating an account, you can now see all kinds of details about plans available in your area, with the exact premiums for someone your age. This is a huge help for shoppers in the 36 states served by the portal, who up until now had to go through the long and not always smooth process of filling out an entire application before they could see this information.

I’ve been playing with it a bit, and it works perfectly, even in the midst of what’s one of the busiest days for the site in many weeks. You can filter by metal level or insurance company, and for each plan you can click through and see details about deductibles, coinsurance, etc.

You will also—and this is very important for a lot of people—find links to the provider directory for each plan, and the list of preferred drugs.

But what it will not show you is the size of any subsidy you might have coming to you to lower the cost of your premium. For that, you still have to go through the application process. But there’s a three-step workaround that’s pretty easy:

1. Figure out as best you can what your household Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) is likely to be in 2014. For this, you can use our cheat sheet that describes exactly how this works. It’s the number you’re going to enter in Step 2.

2.   Go to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s subsidy calculator, which in our opinion is the best of several available. Fill it out, using the MAGI number you came up with in Step 1.  The subsidy it shows you, if any, is given on an annual basis. Divide by 12 to find out what it comes to every month. You’ll need this figure to complete Step 3.

3.  Now, go to HealthCare.gov. On the home page, click on the leftmost medallion that says, “See plans before I apply.” Fill out the requested information, and, presto, you’ll see the plans and can explore them to your heart’s content. To find the actual premium you’ll be paying, simply subtract the amount of your subsidy.

‘How to Enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace’ Seminar Tuesday

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

A free public seminar, “How to Enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace,” is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Quincie Douglas Library, 1585 E. 36th Street, Tucson

The seminar will address the health insurance marketplace, who the Arizona insurance carriers are, how to determine if you are eligible for a subsidy and how to enroll. Navigators from the Tucson Urban League and the Pima County Access Program (PCAP) will be on hand to answer enrollment questions.

Event collaborators include the Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission, Quincie Douglas Library, Tucson Urban League and PCAP. Alison Hughes, retired University of Arizona public health faculty member and immediate past women’s commission chair, will speak. She will be joined by Debra Johnson, Urban League navigator and a women’s commission member, along with other navigators or counselors, to assist with enrollment. No reservation is necessary. For further information check the following websites:

www.pima.library.gov

www.pimatucsonwomen.org

www.tucsonurbanleague.org

www.mypcap.org/

h/t Arizona Daily Star