This is my first diary, though I have been an advent reader for years now. I need some help though and I'm hoping you can give me guidance. I am a strong supporter of Obamacare for multiple reason (Yes I have a bumper sticker though I live in the Red suburbs of Dayton, Ohio) however I seem to be in a dilemma with my parents. My father is a democrat and voted for Obama and my mother is a Republican though secretly I think she voted for Obama at least in 08. Last night when I got home they were looking at Obamacare rates for them where we live. However the premiums were close to $300 a month at the minimum. Together they will make about 60,000 this year (Dad 50,000, Mom 10,000).
Here is my problem. Currently my mom gets insurance through my dads employer however because it is private insurance they will not allow a spouse to be covered if where they work offers insurance. My mom works as a cook in a restaurant so she doesn't make much money. Currently they pay about $160 a month for insurance (40 a week now that I am off since I just got my insurance through my employer). If my mom is kicked off my fathers insurance because she can get insurance through the government, she will have to look at the marketplace because the restaurant doesn't offer insurance. At the premium and out of pocket just for her the platinum plan was the best offer at about 370 a month with a 1,000 deductible and 1,500 out of pocket. However, this is a huge increase in insurance as currently they do not have any co-pays and the premium plan will have co-pays. Nor does the plan cover any vision or dental which my fathers current plan covers some.
I was wondering what I could tell them so I wanted to start here because I thought people here may have an answer.
Just a little background. My mom is 47 years old and she is on numerous prescriptions (either 8 or 9). Although we do not know what my fathers insurance will be like until the spring because there current plan isn't up until April she is trying to figure out what to do in the event she is kicked off. She is going to look into the VA but she couldn't qualify before.
If you have any advice please help. As an advent supporter of the law I believe in it (though single payer would have been better) but it is discouraging to see my parents struggle when they have struggled so much already. They got caught up int the housing bubble and was given a loan to buy our former house from my grandparents. Well they were already in about 40,000 worth of debt before they bought the house so they got a second mortgage to pay that debt off however the second mortgage ended up being interest only and they couldn't afford both in the end once the interest only changed to principle and interest. They were already paying $700 for the first mortgage and then the second would have been $600 for a total of $1,300. They were only bringing in about 2600 a month. They were severely house burdened because with utilities and everything included they were pay around $1,700 a month. The house was the house my mother grew up in so it was difficult for her to let go.
I love my parents and yes they have made some poor financial decisions but they always did what they felt was in my brother and I's best interest and now if she has to get coverage on the marketplace they will barely be able to get by as they already have $800 worth of payday loans and the rent in the mobile home is higher than the first mortgage to the house. (They plan on moving once the lease is up and I am financinally able to move out since I have $37,000 worth of school debt plus a car payment.) Though that will be next year :) well I hope at least.
Anyways if you have any advice please share.
4:37 PM PT: Sorry I can't seem to figure out how to reply it boots me back to the main news page. My dad works for a packaging company and he drives a forklift. From what my parents tell me his company tells them this is the insurance we are offering and everyone in the company has to take that insurance.They don't have multiple plans Is that group insurance? The plan won't cover spouses who work for employers that offer insurance. My parents are afraid they will drop covering my mom because she "technically" can get insurance through the marketplace even though that isn't an employer. It makes insurance available.Since my mother works at a restaurant they do not offer insurance. His current insurance covers these things.
Summary of Benefits
Deductible $600 per member
Out-of-Pocket Limit $2000 per member
Physician Home and Office Services 20%/20%
Preventative: No copayment/coinsurance
Emergency and Urgent Care: $250/20% Urgent Care Center Services $35 (Other benefits)
Inpatient and Outpatient Professional Services 20%
Inpatient Facility Services 20%
Outpatient Surgery Hospital/Alternative Care Facility 20%
Accidental Dental $3,000
Prescription Drugs $10 for generic
Now they do pay separate for their dental and vision. So that was my mistake.
There are other things listed but my point is if she is kicked off my dads plan and I'm not saying it's obamacare fault because it will be the greedy companies fault and she has to get insurance through the marketplace then there cost will go up substantially. My diary was trying to see if anyone had any advice in regards to hearing about this type of problem. We don't know if she will be kicked off yet and won't know until probably March but it is a concern of theirs and I am trying to find out if anyone knew of this type of situation.
4:42 PM PT: Hello, I can't seem to get a comment to stay it sends me back to the main news page but as of 11/27 my father had made 45,654.33 this year before taxes. Part of the problem is that he has had a lot of overtime this year because the company he works for expanded and took on I believe like 14 new clients. What I'm getting at his brings home about 2,000 a month is discretionary spending and my mom brings in about $600 a month. Now if he has to take say 325 a month now to cover my moms insurance that would be difficult for them.