How much you pay for Obamacare depends on factors like age, income, family size and location as well as the plan’s metal tier and benefit design.
If your income exceeds 400% of the poverty level, you may qualify for premium subsidies in the form of tax credits; they’ll appear as deductions on your return.
Premiums
Your health insurance premiums vary based on a range of factors, including your age, income and location. While some factors are regulated by the federal government and some vary state by state or even year by year.
Premiums may be reduced for people eligible for premium tax credits and Medicaid plans, and cost assistance, which is available to most Americans purchasing an Affordable Care Act plan.
Premiums may vary depending on the type of health insurance plan that best meets your needs, such as a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). HDHPs tend to offer lower monthly premiums but higher out-of-pocket expenses when seeking care.
Subsidies
ACA subsidies are a form of social welfare spending designed to provide targeted support at an affordable cost for middle and low-income Americans who purchase health insurance through the marketplace, providing up to $1 trillion over 10 years.
The primary Affordable Care Act subsidy is the premium tax credit, which helps lower premiums when purchasing health plans through an insurer through the marketplace. You can take it at various points throughout the year or claim it as a lump sum when filing taxes.
Your subsidy amount depends on the cost of the second-lowest priced Silver plan in your area (known as a benchmark plan) and how much of an impactful contribution would be expected from you towards meeting its expenses. As your benchmark rate rises, so may your subsidy.
Deductibles
Insurance carriers frequently transfer a portion or all of the cost associated with healthcare services onto enrollees through deductibles, in an attempt to reduce premiums while decreasing health service utilization and keeping expenses within budget. This strategy can help keep premiums low while simultaneously decreasing utilization rates and keeping insurers costs manageable.
Deductibles are an integral component of monthly out-of-pocket health costs and it is important for individuals to understand them fully. To do so, reading through their health plan terms and conditions or visiting the website of their insurer is the key to doing this properly.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) sought to decrease out-of-pocket medical costs for individuals by eliminating lifetime and annual deductibles, pre-existing condition exclusions and coverage caps, while providing exchanges that allow individuals to purchase health insurance with premium subsidies.
Co-pays
Co-pays associated with their Obamacare health insurance plans may leave people bewildered. Co-pays refer to payments you must make for specific services and medications like doctor visits and prescription drugs.
Copayments vary based on service provided and type of health insurance you have; an emergency room visit could have higher copayment requirements than an office visit or physical therapy session, for example.
Obamacare plans typically require copayments for prescription drugs, with costs ranging anywhere from a few dollars to several hundreds depending on both drug and plan.
Co-insurance
Coinsurance is a cost-sharing feature used to cover medical costs up until you meet your deductible. Also referred to as the 80/20 rule, coinsurance covers 80% of healthcare costs while you will be held responsible for 20%.
Imagine this: A family of three with an annual deductible of $1,000 and 20% coinsurance rates on their healthcare expenses visit a hospital and their health plan covers $2,000 of their bill, leaving Ben, 28, responsible for 20 percent or $1,000 out-of-pocket payments.
Deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums reset annually to help you budget and manage monthly healthcare spending.