The marketplace is not like Medicaid, there is a cost for premiums and copays and deductibles. However, the government can help reduce premium costs through tax credits. How much they will pay is based off of household size and income. The deductible amount and out-of-pocket maximum is also prorated based off of income and household size.
If individuals are offered insurance through their employer, except in special circumstances, they will not be eligible for tax credits. However, we at the clinic see patients who are self-employed, and the marketplace can be a viable option for them to get coverage.
We also see a number of immigrants who are not eligible to receive Medicaid or Medicare. They can sign up for marketplace. One of the populations this can be especially helpful for is the elderly who come to join their adult children here in the US. They never were employed here in the US, so they cannot get Medicare, but they can get a low cost marketplace plan.
If you come across a patient you feel may have questions or benefit from the marketplace, please let me know. I hope to be able to assist many patients with marketplace coverage and connect them to primary care. Feel free to contact me at Amy@hishandsclinic.org.
