Okay Ani,

Marketplace Obamacare health insurance plans show I'm eligible for $400 premium credit a month based on my income and household size. Great, what if I DON'T file my 2022 taxes, will I owe the IRS the credit I received? What if I cancel my insurance policy, will I be able to pick up another policy.

Maria

Hi Maria,

Thank you for writing. Yes, I'm guessing you will. Let's say you were granted this credit based on your 2022 income and now the IRS doesn't know if you fell into the eligible range. You will want to be as accurate as possible when putting in your income and definitely update as needed throughout the year so the numbers can be reconciled. If you cancel your policy outside of open enrollment, you will need to have a Qualifying Life Event such as marriage, divorce, pregnancy, adoption, etc in order to pick up a new Marketplace policy. Open enrollment is only from November 1st to January 15th, it's not a large window. You can buy a policy outside of the Marketplace at any time of the year, but you will NOT be able to apply the premium credit towards that new plan. If you have any other questions, I'm here.

Be Well,

Ani

Okay Ani,

I recently lost my job and lost my insurance coverage with it. Do I need to wait to get re-employed before I can get some good coverage or is my only option medicaid or something?

Thank you,

Pickle

Hi Pickle,

Thank you for writing. I'm so sorry to hear about your job loss. Please know that while Medicaid is a good option just so you're covered, you do have options other than Medicaid. If being covered is pretty urgent and you cannot wait until next year, there are some plans for under $100 that will cover you for a certain amount if you get sick or injured. Of course, if money is not an object, you can grab yourself a major medical plan from a private insurer right now. Or later, with the new government subsidies, you can take advantage of a private major medical plan and pay very little. Your subsidy will be based on your projected income and family size for next year. You can always update your income information during the year, this will adjust your subsidy amount and it will have to be reconciled with the numbers on your tax return. Does that make sense?

Be Well,

Ani

Okay Ani,

I was attacked by a stray dog which resulted in a few broken bones, stitches and mental trauma. I just remembered that I had purchased an Accident Medical Expense plan about five months ago on top of my regular medical coverage. It's been two months since I got treated. I filed a claim with my health insurance company but they said I have not reached my deductible for the year. Is it too late to file a claim with my Accident plan and do you think they will cover something like this?

Thanks,

Amy

Hi Amy,

Thank you for taking your time to write me. I'm so sorry to hear about your awful experience. Please file a claim with your AME plan as soon as possible, the window is usually 180 days after the event. Also, please make sure that you sought treatment within 30 days of the accident. If these check out, you should be compensated for the amount of coverage you purchased. Please reach out to me if you have any other questions.

Be Well,

Ani