by:  Diane Benjamin

Today reporter Paul Swiech did a front page story on Central Illinoisans trying to sign up for ObamaCare.  He did say most of the people expecting to sign up qualified for Medicaid.  Illinois expects to add 850,000 to the Medicaid roles in Illinois.  Even before adding all these people, Medicaid recipients had trouble finding a doctor.  Where are 850,000 more people going to get care?

The story goes on to describe the experience of a woman who works 20 hours a week at Meijer.  The earnings limit for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act is $15,860.  Unless Meijer pays part-time workers REALLY well, she most likely earns less than $15,860.  If she does quality for Medicaid, she is not eligible to buy insurance from the exchange.   She has to be on Medicaid.  She can not receive any subsidies. 

The story goes on to report many technical “glitches” with the system necessitating a phone call to the state’s help desk.  At this point at least 2 people had access to her personal information like her social security number.  The state is no longer asking about felony convictions, so I hope the help desk guy is honest.

The on-line program should have spit out purchasing options when the application was complete.  The story says the lady will receive quotes in the mail in 2-3 weeks.  Obviously another one of those “glitches”.   She won’t like the quotes since her policy is required to cover pregnancy even though she is 61 years old.

One other error:  if she does make over $15,860 she won’t be paying a fine of $95 next year for not purchasing insurance.  The fine is the GREATER of $95 or 1% of modified adjusted income.  That makes her fine for NOT buying insurance at least $159.  It goes up every year after that.

Oh, I forgot.  The Supreme Court declared it a tax, not a fine.

.

.

.