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

Best Most Delicious Most Mac n Cheese

2 tablespoons butter

1⁄4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1 dash pepper + whatever seasonings you like

1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1⁄2 teaspoon mustard powder

 ¾ cup smoked cheddar cheese, shredded

¾ cup gruyere cheese, shredded

1 cup aged sharp cheddar cheese

1 (8 oz) package processed American Cheese, cut into strips

1 (8-12 oz) package of macaroni

1⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1⁄4 cup panko or breadcrumbs

Put on pot of lightly salted and olive oiled water, wait for it to boil.

Shred cheeses.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.

Sautee onion for 2 minutes. 

Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

Stir in salt, mustard, pepper and seasonings.

Stir in milk, cook, stirring frequently, until mixture boils and thickens.

To milk mixture add the Cheddars, Gruyere & American cheeses; stir until cheese melts.

Put macaroni in boiling water and cook 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Combine drained macaroni and cheese sauce in a 2 quart baking dish; mix well.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and panko, add a lil more seasoning or cheddar cheese if you like.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Thank the Most High and Enjoy your meal!

Okay Ani,

Is life insurance a scam?

Hi There,

I understand your concern. Life insurance, like any other purchase can come in handy if the situation calls for it. It can provide peace of mind if you have debt or people depending on your income. Fortunately, you have options, such as purchasing coverage for only a certain number of years and amounts. Obviously, never buy more than you can afford. Term life is most affordable but does not build cash value and also, as the name implies, is good for a only a number of years. A whole life policy will work if you do have the extra money to spend on insurance and don't want to have to worry about your policy expiring. It will also build cash value that you can borrow against if you need a lump sum of money on hand or want to make a large purchase. Value your money, do not buy this type of product if you see no need for it.

All the Best,

Ani

Okay Ani.

My name is Bill, I'm a 56 yr old male, I am self-employed. I have been for over 30 years. I do have a few health issues, but hate going to the doctor. I just need coverage for any future emergency room visits. Two years ago I had to go to the emergency room. I'm still paying for it, the bill was over 5k. I do smoke but plan on quitting soon. What type of plan would you recommend for under $300 a month?

Hi Bill,

Based on your budget you will be able to get a basic but high deductible health plan. But I would add on top of that an Accident Medical Expense (AME) plan and a Critical illness plan (which will cover heart attacks and stroke) depending on your health issues. If possible, I would try to add a Fixed Indemnity plan to help with costs of any hospital stays or other expenses. An AME and Fixed Indemnity plan will provide you with money to cover these expenses. I hope this has helped.

- Ani
insureme@bluberridesign.com

where be I?

slacking on my bloggggs, website, twitter etc. what's wrong with me!!!! Still designing tho! A couple designs for a competition I'm receiving no feedback on, but enjoying doing the designs.

Who'd think to combine a crocodile and a bee? Fun challenge! one with grey background making me think of a gila monster instead of a croc tho. Any thoughts/ideas? Have a good one, it's nearing my bedtime :) (don't look at the time)

Just added a revision with stripes!

new bluberri design logo

Let me introduce to you my new bluberri design logo, it's friendlier with more style, I don't know if this is the final draft tho, but most likely if I can't think of an improvement. I did take out the word 'studio', not sure if I should have it in the logo. I got a new blue as the primary color, might need to put back some of that purple, purple's great. I did introduce a new color, that aqua color and really like it so not sure if I want purple to be more prominent than it. Anyway, blah blah blah.

I'm (slooooowwwwly) in the process of redoing my website and it's pretty much going to be inspired by the organic nature of the new logo. I really aiming to have it complete this summer. We'll see how that goes...................

-hana

TinMan in da house

Been a while since I've posted anything here, I gotta keep up :/

Anyway, here's a digital illustration I made for a cute ebook where anyone can submit illustrations for the story found here I'm hoping they'll post it, I just made and submitted it today, it's for page 40 where they meet Tin Man.

logo design

Here's a logo I designed a few months back.

Hijabi Twitter Bird

Adorable Hijabi Twitter birds. Feel free to use these on your website or blog or share with others. Just right-click on the image and choose Save File or Save As. If you would like the PSD version of any of these, just contact me.
Have a great day.
Hana

Muslim orphans in America NEED YOUR HELP

half way through the month

So we're half way through the month........lots to think about. Really need to start implementing my 2011 plan 'sigh'. I think time management and networking are my main inhibitors right now and before this month is up I really need to see more improvements to my 2010 strategy. Get to work, Hana!

10 things I love about graphic designing/illustrating

Just some thoughts, in no particular order. Enjoy!

1. CREATIVITY I get to release some of my creativity. Seriously, when us artists don't express our creativity on the regular, we go a bit insaner than we already are.

2. CONTROL Design allows me to have just a tad bit of control in a out of control world, I decide color, lines, fonts, it just feeeeels goood!

3. BEAUTY Many of us are visual creatures, looking at beautiful things, especially things that we create, are simply awesome to behold.

4. PROBLEM-SOLVING How so? Exploring and solving solutions to design problems are a thrill in itself! I personally love a challenge, when I can explore and solve design solutions, it satisfies a part of me that craves puzzles and problem-solving.

5. HELPING Being able to solve peoples' and businesses' graphic design problems are priceless. Giving businesses a face and something great to represent and communicate their business or purpose is a thrill and honor that I absolutely can't resist.

6. FLEXIBILITY I'm at a point in my life where flexibility is very important. Doing what I do offers me flexibility to work the hours and locations that suit me and my clients' needs.

7. PERSONALIZATION The services designers and artists offer are individual and cannot be manufactured. A good designer will put heart and though into the work and that adds a nice little personalization to the work and service and it's great when we're appreciated for that.

8. LEARNING There's never nothing left to learn, it's exciting to know that there's so much ahead and to look at how much I've learned.

9. VARIETY The areas of design and illustration are so vast and it's really nice exploring and learning the different areas. I'm still deciding on my specific areas and it feels kinda special to know that there's one or several for me.

10. TYPOGRAPHY Typography's easily an addiction, I love exploring type, manipulating it, kerning, finding homes for typefaces (fonts) in my work and looking at it being used in all kinds of creative ways.

-Hana

www.bluberridesign.com

We've decided to open up an awesome shop. I'll be adding stuff regularly, so please check back often! The items featured are designs inspired by my kids' drawings and also work I've created especially for you! I will be posting designs here so you can vote on which ones I should put in the shop and also taking any suggestions for products.
Stay warm!
Hana

what's new

So what's new? I have since gotten my new business cards, yay! Also trying to give my website a makeover. So much to learn!!!!!!! But I need to brush up my web know-how anyway, seems like such a drag, time-consuming, lagging on my LogoTournament competing and such, but need to get it done. Anyway, it's Friday, crazy week's over, have a good one.
Peace!
Hana

Name Design Wnner

photo courtesy of harold naper

Just wanted to announce that we have randomly selected a winner for the name design contest! Thanks to everyone who clicked "Follow" for this blog, it's so much appreciated. I'll probably hold another contest soon, depending on time allowances. So stay tuned and have a sweet day.

-Hana

Unsolds I Like Tuesday2

Happy Eid ul Adha

I come across a lot of typefaces (fonts) that I really like (or hate). Here I'll actually share ones I come across that I really like. Every font has a purpose, finding the best application for a font is simply beautiful. They have characteristics that fit certain messages and should be used for that. Fonts used incorrectly are a disaster for sensitive eyes and most likely won't get a message across effectively. When I find a font I like, I'm tempted to use it everywhere and anywhere, but it simply doesn't fit in every application (although I do secretly yearn for a use for it). Anyway, here's a font I came across, it read to me 'personable and friendly' because of it's handwritten nature and rounded letters. It's called Halo Handletter by Mario Arturo, you can download it free here. Hope you like it!