Results
Because your income is more than 4 times the poverty level, you would not qualify for subsidized exchange coverage. The information below is about unsubsidized exchange coverage.
Household income in 2014:
496% of poverty level
Unsubsidized annual health insurance premium in 2014:
$11,591
In most states, insurers can charge a tobacco surcharge of up to 50% of your total premium before the tax credit. The tax credit cannot be applied to the tobacco surcharge.
Maximum % of income you have to pay for the non-tobacco premium, if eligible for a subsidy:
None
(before accounting for a tobacco surcharge, if applicable)
Amount you pay for the premium:
$11,591 per year
(which equals 15.05% of your household income and covers 100% of the overall premium)
You could receive a government tax credit subsidy of up to:
$0
(which covers 0% of the overall premium)
Bronze Plan
The premium amounts above are based on a Silver plan. You could purchase other levels of coverage, such as a Gold plan (which would be more comprehensive) or a Bronze plan (which would be less comprehensive).
For example, you could enroll in a Bronze plan for about $9,607 per year (which is 12.48% of your household income). For most people, the Bronze plan represents the minimum level of coverage required under health reform. Although you would pay less in premiums by enrolling in a Bronze plan, you will face higher out-of-pocket costs than if you enrolled in a Silver plan.
Out of Pocket Costs
Your out-of-pocket maximum for a Silver plan (not including the premium) can be no more than $12,700. Whether you reach this maximum level will depend on the amount of health care services you use. Currently, about one in four people use no health care services in any given year.
A Silver plan has an actuarial value of 70%. This means that for all enrollees in a typical population, the plan will pay for 70% of expenses in total for covered benefits, with enrollees responsible for the rest. If you choose to enroll in a Bronze plan, the actuarial value will be 60%, meaning your out-of-pocket costs when you use services will likely be higher. Regardless of which level of coverage you choose, deductibles and copayments will vary from plan to plan, and out-of-pocket costs will depend on your health care expenses. Preventive services will be covered with no cost sharing required.
Other Coverage Options
Because Bronze level coverage would cost more than 8% of your household income, you may instead opt to purchase catastrophic coverage. With a catastrophic plan, you would pay out-of-pocket for most health services until you reach the annual limit on cost sharing ($12,700 in 2014). However, preventive services are covered with no cost sharing required.