Signing up for ACA (Obamacare) before March 31st!

Posted on March 20, 2014 by David Posnett

If you are in the East Hampton, NY, area, you can walk in to the East Hampton Health Care Foundation at 200 Pantigo Place this Friday March 21st.  Professional insurance enrollers will help you sign up on line.   They do this every day and they are experts.  They are fluent in Spanish and English.  For more info see my prior posts.  There is also a post on your costs for ACA medical insurance.

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Tears for Liz

Posted on March 20, 2014 by David Posnett

My friend Liz was an intense supporter of the ACA.  There was a good reason.  She had her health insurance canceled back in 2005 when she was stricken with a nasty cancer.  Chemotherapy nearly bankrupted her.  But she survived. She became a cancer survivor and started a national support group for patients like herself, a group counting a membership of over 5000.  She was very well informed and attended medical conferences to keep up with the latest advances.

However, she still had no medical insurance.  So a few weeks ago she signed up on-line for the ACA and she was waiting for her insurance card.  She wasn’t feeling well.  Fully aware of the costs, she did not want to see a specialist in NY City until her insurance card was in hand.  However, on Monday she went to an emergency room because of shortness of breath.  A few hours later she was dead!

Its not clear what happened.  BUT it is very clear that

  • Health insurance is not a “joke” –  in fact, lacking health insurance dissuades us from consulting a physician when we know that we should.  Lacking insurance really costs lives.
  • Treatment for cancer and other disorders can be extremely expensive and often leads to personal bankruptcy, specially when you are uninsured.

Many people were touched by Liz and I know they are mourning.  I  know she would want us all to fight for the ACA (Obamacare) in her name.  RIP Liz.

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5 Million!

Posted on March 18, 2014 by David Posnett

(Reuters) – More than 5 million people have enrolled in private health insurance under the law known as Obamacare since open enrollment began on October 1, the U.S. administration said on Monday. Read the story HERE and HERE.Image

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Thanks Barack!

Posted on March 15, 2014 by David Posnett

I was paying $1975/mo. to the jerks at Empire BC/BS for the 4 people in my family. Now I am paying $1360 (over $600 less per month) to Health Republic and so far so good.
I was really getting screwed until Obamacare finally happened. They didn’t want to pay for this or that, and yet my premium went up $150 or more per year. It is such a relief not to be taken advantage of – both financially and psychologically. Thanks Barack!
-JW

 

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Debunked Lies!

Posted on March 12, 2014 by David Posnett

As the GOP seeks to make Obamacare a wedge issue this election cycle, there have been a number of stories lately about cancer patients who have lost their insurance policies and claim to find their forced-replacement Obamacare policies prohibitively expensive. Not so fast. The Detroit news did a little fact checking on a recent Koch Bros sponsored Obamacare attack ad. The woman is actually saving money.  All stories should be fact checked and all lies debunked! Liz

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140310/LIFESTYLE03/303100100

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Sign-up for Healthcare with Free Assistance

Posted on March 3, 2014 by David Posnett

This coming Saturday, March 8th 2014, from 11AM to 3PM, you can come to the

East Hampton Healthcare Center, at 200 Pantigo Place

to sign up for health care, with the assistance of 3 insurance enrollers.  It’s FREE.  There is free FOOD/COFFEE.  The enrollers are fluent in English and Spanish.  You will be able to choose from 8 insurance companies and numerous different plans what is best for you and your family.  This is a WALK-IN and people will be served on a first come basis.

Here is what you need to bring along:

  1. 2012 tax return
  2. 2013 tax return or W2 form and pay stubs for the last 3 months
  3. if self employed, a 1099 form.  If no 1099, prior 3 months expenses and income
  4. Social Security Card and ID card such as Drivers License
  5. Email account
  6. Birth certificate and passport maybe useful
  7. If a naturalized citizen, then alien & certificate number are required
  8. If documented resident, a green card is necessary and other family members who are documented must also supply their green cards.

Here is a map to get to 200 Pantigo Place.

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Confused by Obamacare ? For Suffolk County Residents, read on…

Posted on February 9, 2014 by David Posnett

Confused?  Not sure how it may benefit you?  Not sure how much it will cost? If you are anywhere near Southampton, Riverhead or Hampton Bays,  here are 3 seminars coming up:  Layman’s terms.  Resource guide to local enrollers.

Wed Feb 26, 2014   6:30pm to 8:30pm
Rogers Memorial Library, Morris Meeting Room, 91 Coopers Farm Rd, Southampton, NY 11968.   (631) 283 0774, ext 523

Thu Mar 6, 2014    6:00pm to 8:00pm
Riverhead Free Library, 330 Court Street, Riverhead, NY 11902; call (631) 727 3228 or email contact@riverheadlibrary.com

Tues Mar 25, 2014      6:30pm to 8:30pm
Hampton Bays Public Library, 52 Ponquogue Ave., Hampton Bays, NY 11946, call (631) 728 6241 or email hbaylib2suffolk.lib.ny.us

 
 
 
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The Costs of Obamacare Insurance to YOU.

Posted on February 8, 2014 by David Posnett

I have been hearing horror stories about prohibitively expensive Obamacare insurance quotes.  So together with my friend Sheila, we logged on to the NY State Official Health Plan Marketplace and pretended to be shopping for insurance right here in Suffolk County.

Note (and this is important) the cost varies depending on where you reside.  The different insurance carriers have different quotes of course.  And most importantly the cost varies according to your taxable income.  Your premium should be reduced (advanced Tax Credit) if your taxable income is below $45,960 for a single individual, or below $94,200 for a family of four.

Here are several scenarios (all of them for a gold plan, annual deductible $600 per person, or $1200 per family) and applicable to Suffolk County residents.  The quoted premiums are for the family and represent the cheapest quote.  Make sure that your doctor accepts the insurance plan you choose!

Taxable Household income $75,000
2 adults no dependent children:  Monthly premium for the family $877 + (depending on Plan). NO CREDITS

Taxable Household income $75,000
2 adults and 2 dependent children:  Monthly premium for the family $740 + (depending on Plan). Advanced Tax Credit $137

Taxable Household income $50,000
2 adults and 2 dependent children:  Monthly premium for the family $427+ (depending on Plan). Advanced Tax Credit $450

Taxable Household income $25,000
1 adult and no dependent children:  Monthly premium $217 + (depending on Plan) – Advanced Tax Credit $221

Taxable Household income $14,000
1 adult and no dependent children:  Monthly premium $0  – medicaid

This does not sound too bad at all.

 

 

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Need help to sign up for Obamacare?

Posted on February 8, 2014 by David Posnett

If you are anywhere near East Hampton on the Southfork this is a great place:

East Hampton Health Care Center

for appointments with an “enroller” on Mon and Fri call

  • Julia Fuentes  631 294 2921
  • Nancy Moraga Martinez  631 291 5077

for appointments with an “enroller” on Tues and Thu call

  • Vicki Duran 516 315 1021

All enrollers are fluent in English and Spanish.  You can sign up your family within less than 1 hour.  It is person to person and you don’t need to have computer skills.

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How to sign up for ACA Healthcare Insurance WITHOUT problems on the Southfork

Posted on January 30, 2014 by David Posnett

Millions of Americans and documented residents
now have the chance to get quality care that they
can afford.
1. If you need help, financial assistance is available.
2. You can’t be denied coverage, regardless of your health
3. You choose the plan that’s right for you.
4. Sign up through March 2014

This is for those that are frustrated and found it difficult to get good health insurance at a good rate.

I went to visit Sheila Rogers (the head of East Hampton Health Care Foundation).
Forget using state paid navigators in Suffolk county she says.  There are only about 3 of them.  They show up very infrequently (e.g. once a month for 3 hours at Southampton Hosp. for example).

There are 8 companies that are NYS approved to sell insurance through the ACA individual market place in Suffolk county.  But only 3 are providers of Medicaid Managed Care.

  1. Affinity Health Plan  (provider of Medicaid Managed Care)
  2. Fidelis Care  (provider of Medicaid Managed Care)  – no local doctors accept this companies plans!  Closest doctors in Riverhead!  FAVORITE CHOICE BECAUSE CHEAPEST
  3. United (provider of Medicaid Managed Care)  – very expensive if you are not eligible for Medicaid Managed Care!
  4. Emblem Health
  5. Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield
  6. Health Republic (Freelancers) – no local doctors accept this companies plans!
  7. North Shore LIJ – doctors are mostly up island
  8. Oscar

Small Business Marketplace:

Health Republic
North Shore LIJ
United

Probably better to use an insurance broker if you are a business.

Here is the exciting part: Sheila has  “enrollers” that come to her clinic 4 days a week for 3 hours.  They see and sign up about 10-12 families at each session.  People have to make an appointment and the wait is usually about 1 week.  These enrollers are fluent in Spanish.  They do NOT try to overtly sell/push their own company…  (most of them come from Affinity and United).

You can call for an appointment:

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A
FACILITATED ENROLLER
AT THE EAST HAMPTON
HEALTHCARE CENTER

MON & FRI:
UNITEDHEALTHCARE
JULIA FUENTES: 631-294-2921

TUES & THURS
AFFINITY HEALTHPLAN
VICKY DURAN: 516-315-1021

Insurance Brokers can also sell plans, including plans from other companies like Aetna, these plans are supposed to be in line with the ACA market place.

Sheila organizes a monthly Health Care Fair at our local Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church on Buell Lane, where families get free screening (BP, Diabetes, Cholesterol, etc) and free advice on how to sign up for the ACA.   The next such event is Friday, Feb 7th (11AM to 1:30 PM).

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