Idaho rejected Medicaid expansion--what will my options be now?

I am a college student and will be when the new health insurance exchanges open up. As such, my taxable income is really only grants and scholarships, totaling a little less than $10,000 a year, which is 87% of the poverty level and would have granted me access to Medicaid.

Idaho is rejecting the Medicaid expansion though, and I've been looking around for days now to see what's going to happen to me. Most of what I've read says that the premium tax credits only apply if you are making at least 133% of the poverty level, which I won't be--I'll be making quite a bit less.

Does this put me in a gray area where I will be eligible for neither Medicare nor the premium tax credits? If that's the case, I'd be paying more for insurance than some families of four. Or am I interpreting this all wrong? HELP!

You will be paying the fine and still have no health insurance. Welcome to obama world.

Move to Missouri if Idaho didn't do it right. Missouri included in our Amendment that it is illegal for any resident of our state to be fined or otherwise sanctioned for non-compliance with any aspect of the Affordable Care Act. The Roberts court decision is what gave the states this power and added that Washington COULD NOT retaliate by cutting Medi- program funding to force compliance. So...apply for your version of Medi- and enjoy. The Super-Court is good for something once in awhile.

In this case, those of us in states which have made full use of the opening the Supreme Court decision allowed for ought to send them all a thank you note.

I can't wait for Obama to publicly face the brick wall this all represents. He deliberately 'forgets' the decisions of the highest court are 100% EQUAL TO his own powers and authority......as designed and intended.

(gets out the popcorn to watch the fight coming in 2014, if not much sooner.)

Welcome to Obamacare, the land of healthcare monopolys and sky high pricing. You dont have the money, tuff, pay the fine or go to jail.

Sorry man, its what the people voted for. I cant wait to say i told you so when everyone is getting raked over the coals in 2014.

reply to post by DarthMuerte


Well I do have to purchase insurance as a requirement for my school. It's $75 a month and is almost entirely unusable due to a sky-high deductible.

I would imagine that the plans provided in the exchange will either be more affordable or more usable, both of which would be quite nice. In other words--I'm looking forward to Obamacare either way.

At the same time, if I'm going to continue to enroll in a plan that costs $75, I'd really like to be able to use it. If I don't get a tax credit in that case, it would be okay I suppose--but this poor college student could really use a break. Tuition is a killer

reply to post by iceofspades

Medical Loss Ratio (MLR). To ensure that students receive value for their premium dollar, this final rule makes student health plans subject to the reporting and rebate requirements of the medical loss ratio rule starting in 2013. The Affordable Care Act stipulates that the reporting requirements and methodologies for calculating the medical loss ratio “be designed to take into account the special circumstances of small plans, different types of plans, and new plans.” To address the special circumstances of Student Health Plans, HHS will apply a methodological adjustment to the way the medical loss ratio is calculated for those plans. Similar to mini-med and expatriate plans, the adjustment will address the unusual expense and premium structures of student health plans. These changes to the methodology for reporting and rebates apply only in calendar year 2013, after which time no adjustment is provided. In addition, we added to the MLR rule a provision that requires student coverage to be aggregated nationally as its own pool rather than on a State by State basis, and to report experience separate from other policies

Student Health Plans and the Affordable Care Act

The insurance company has to show that they are spending a high percentage of every Dollar taken on Healthcare. Not operating costs and profits.

That should lower your co-pay.

Of course, it's still more expensive than it needs to be though, but that's why we needed single payer.

Good luck with your studies.

At least you don't have to worry about your health right now due the Amazing weather and clean air there...OH WAIT...

Originally posted by BritofTexas
Of course, it's still more expensive than it needs to be though, but that's why we needed single payer.

Good luck with your studies.

I totally agree.

I looked up and read the law, like I should have in the first place, and the answer is that I will receive the tax credit as I make "up to 133%" of the household income, so while I would rather have the superior coverage of Medicaid, at least my insurance will be pretty much free compared to what I pay now. REALLY happy about that

Title I of the PPACA