Understand the Key Financial Components of the ARA

Liz Weston CFP NerdWallet Columnist
The latest coronavirus relief package did more than dole out $1,400 checks. The law also made
health insurance free for millions more people and reduced costs for others, at least for now. The American Rescue Plan , which President Joe Biden signed in March, expanded subsidies for people buying their own insurance on Affordable Care Act exchanges. In addition, anyone who receives unemployment benefits this year can qualify for zero-premium health insurance
through the exchanges, regardless of income. In fact, many people who are currently uninsured will qualify for free or low-cost coverage through the exchanges or Medicaid, says Daniel McDermott , a policy analyst with KFF , the nonpartisan health care think tank formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation. People who lost their jobs but want to keep their former employer’s health insurance also may get help. If you don’t qualify for group health insurance elsewhere, the federal government will pay your COBRA premiums for up to six months.

MILLIONS QUALIFY FOR FREE ACA COVERAGE

Since 2013 , ACA exchanges have allowed people to buy individual and family health insurance policies, usually with tax credits that reduced their premiums and other costs. ACA has four levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Bronze plans typically have the lowest monthly premiums and the highest deductibles; platinum plans have the highest premiums and the lowest deductibles. Before the new relief package, people with incomes greater than 400% of the federal poverty level typically didn’t qualify for subsidies to reduce their premiums. Now people with incomes up to 600% of the poverty level — up to $76,560 for a single person or $157,200 for a family of four — can qualify, according to KFF. (KFF’s calculator can show you how much you’d likely pay for ACA coverage.)

The relief package reduced premiums for the vast majority of people who buy their own insurance, McDermott says. In addition, nearly half of the 29 million currently uninsured now qualify for a free plan, he says. Those with incomes below 250% of the poverty line also will benefit from reduced cost-sharing, which means lower deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs. At 150% of the poverty line — income of about $19,000 for a single person and just under $40,000 for a family of four —people qualify for zero-premium silver plans with annual deductibles of just $177 . Millions of unemployed people will be eligible for similar coverage. Anyone who receives unemployment benefits for any part of 2021 can qualify for a zero-premium silver plan with the maximum cost-sharing reductions, McDermott says. “For all intents and purposes, the health insurance exchanges are going to look at you as if your income was under 150%” of poverty level, he says.

HOW TO QUALIFY FOR ACA SUBSIDIES

The expansion of Affordable Care Act subsidies is retroactive to Jan. 1 and will continue through Dec. 31, 2022. People must purchase their insurance from Healthcare.gov or their state’s ACA exchange to qualify for subsidies. The act also created a new special enrollment period that extends through Aug . 15, 2021. Some people still don’t qualify for subsidies, including most people with incomes above 600% of the poverty line; undocumented immigrants; people who have offers of employer-provided health insurance that’s considered affordable; and certain low-income people in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid coverage. 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW about FREE COBRA COVERAGE

Many people prefer to keep their employer’s health insurance coverage when they lose their jobs, although the cost is often prohibitive. Most employers pay a large portion of the cost to cover workers, but former employees who opt to extend their coverage using the federal COBRA law typically must pay the full premium plus a 2% administrative fee.

Thanks to the new law, employers are required to provide free COBRA coverage from April 1 through Sept. 30 to eligible former employees who lost their health care coverage because of involuntary termination or a reduction in hours, says financial planner and certified public accountant Kelley Long , consumer financial education advocate for the American Institute of
CPAs. The employers’ cost will be offset by federal tax credits. If you’re eligible for other group health coverage — through a spouse, new employer or Medicare, for example — you won’t qualify for free COBRA. “The intention is to help people who have no other options and would otherwise be uninsured
because they can’t afford COBRA,” Long says. Normally you have 60 days after you lose your job to opt for COBRA coverage, which typically lasts a total of 18 months. If you missed that 60-day window, or signed up but then dropped coverage, you may have another opportunity to enroll. The new law extends the sign-up period so that people who lost their jobs during the pandemic can get the free coverage. Employers are required to reach out to eligible former employees by May 31 . If you think you’re eligible but you haven’t heard from your employer, McDermott recommends contacting your former employer’s human resources department. There will be a special enrollment window at the end of September to allow people with COBRA to switch to an ACA plan, McDermott says.

More Blog Posts

Why selling USAble & Florida Blue Dental to all your potential and current clients is a MUST

Many ACA customers live 'paycheck to paycheck,' which is 80% of Americans. However, this does not mean they cannot afford anything. It means they budget their money in a weekly manner. We mustn't assume what a person can afford but instead make our recommendation...

Maximize your Opportunities

Agents are always looking for opportunities to increase their income. Often the solutions are right in front of us and because of that we miss them all together. The hardest part of our job is finding a prospect! Once we make a sale so many believe that the...

Medicare Update

As OEP came to an end, I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for your hard work over the past 6 months!  I know how busy these times can be while also maintaining a work life balance, and we thank you for helping us drive our mission at FB...

The SMART Way

Statistically, death is 100%. That’s no Joke.  Funerals could cost upwards of $20,000. That does not even include transportation. So, if anyone dies out of state, the average cost of transportation is $10,000, and the country’s average cost is $20,000. Add that to the...

Are You Marketing?

I read once a long time ago that you only get one chance to make a good impression. There is a lot of truth in that statement. Just think about the first time you met your significant other. You had your best smile on, and hopefully best dressed while at the same time...

Our Business is the Best – We Help People – STOP Selling on Price over Needs

When I formed Compass Health in 2007 – one of the core tenants was to select the Best Companies & Products to the individual under age 65 market.  Of course – since then – we have broadened the markets we serve to include the Senior and Specialty markets (Smart...

Marketing Technology of the Future Today

Business cards have been a stable in marketing since they were first used in China in the 15th Century. Back then they were called “Visiting Cards” and they were used by the Noble and Wealthy families as a promotion tool or to show they had stopped for a visit. In...

Democratic senators ask Biden administration to limit “junk health plans” that are not ACA-compliant

"Junk plans are leaving Americans with these tremendously expensive bills," says Xavier Becerra, secretary of Health and Human Services.By Alan GoforthAffordable Healthcare Ahead.Jim Vallee/Adobe Stock More than two dozen Democratic senators this week asked the Biden...

Meet Steve Ramsey our New Group Sales Director

I am pleased to introduce myself to the Compass Health Agent Team and look forward to meeting and working with everyone. Our President, Bruce Henry, asked me to write a brief Bio so you all understand my background.I was born and raised in Kentucky and now live in...

New Possibilities

So many people make New Year's resolutions to only found out later that they did not accomplish their New Year Goal. Our Society has basically brainwashed people into thinking that somehow magically you will lose weight, make more sales, buy a bigger house take that...

Call For a Free Quote