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Submitted by: Dennis Jarvis

The FPL or Federal Poverty Level is about to become common knowledge to most Americans, especially the 60% expected to qualify for health subsidies. These numbers which are generated by the Federal Government to determine poverty levels based on income and eligibility for many social safety nets will dictate where billions of dollars of health subsidies go. Let’s take a look at the FPL and understand its new importance.

A quick introduction to the Federal Poverty Level numbers

The FPL are numbers which reflect annual income levels by family type. The numbers are increased with each additional family member added. The base numbers are 100% of the Federal Poverty level. The base numbers increase each year based on CPI or the Consumer Price Index which is a well-used representation of inflation. Otherwise, the numbers would “buy” less and less with each year due to inflation. So why is the FPL so important to health insurance now?

400% rule for health subsidies

The FPL always drove eligibility for Medicaid, Healthy Families, and other Federal safety net medical programs but the range has now been expanded with the ACA Health Reform bill. A core tenant of the bill is that eligible people up to 400% of the FPL will receive subsidies towards specified health plans available as of Jan 1st 2014 (with actual quoting and enrollment available Oct 1st 2013). This means that a person would double the FPL number that applies to him or her (single, family of four, etc) to determine if they are eligible for a health subsidy. Our health quote engine will automatically calculate this for you with entry of your income and family census data starting October 1st, 2013. Some people who make under 150% of the FPL will likely be eligible for fully paid Medicaid. So what will you get if you make under 400% of the Federal Poverty Level?

The 9.5% Rule

Qualifying for a subsidy is based on the 400% rule but the amount of health subsidy you can receive is based on your income and the cost of subsidy-eligible health plans. In general, you will not need to spend more than 9.5% of your income on health insurance premium. If the eligible health plan costs $1200 for a family of four and the family makes $50K/annually, this family should not have to spend more than $495/monthly. They will then receive a health subsidy of $705/monthly towards their health plan premium right away.

Health plan subsidies up to 250% of poverty

In addition to health subsidy towards monthly insurance premium, people that make between 150% and 250% of the FPL will also be eligible for plan benefit upgrades at no additional cost. There will be some differences from State to State on how this works but you can expect that your out of pocket for medical bills will be less due to this 150-250% FPL qualification.

Key points on the Federal Poverty Level and health subsidies

Qualification is generally expected to be your prior year’s income and it’s based on your MAGI or Modified Adjusted Gross Income. This will likely include passive forms of income. If you lose your eligibility status, you may be required at tax time to return the received subsidies (let’s say your income jumped from 350% of the FPL to 500% of the FPL during the prior year.

About the Author: Dennis Jarvis is a licensed health insurance agent who focuses on helping people understand the new

health subsidy

available through Reform for healthcare. More info on

9.5% Rule and Health Subsidies

Source:

isnare.com

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According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology about 22 million people in the United States over the age of 40 have cataracts. About half of all people over the age of 80 have this condition that clouds the lens of the eye and progressively leads to a decrease in vision. With the only cure found in cataract surgery, learning more about cataracts and their treatment can help you to answer questions for family members.

First, it is important to realize that despite the claims of some supplement manufacturers, there is no scientific evidence that any supplements can reduce the risk of developing cataracts. There is also no treatment except for cataract surgery at this time, but the type of surgery has changed dramatically providing patients with options for very fast healing with reduced risk of complications.

No-Stitch Surgery

Now, most cataract surgery is classified as “no-stitch surgery” because the entire process is done using an extremely fine tube that is inserted into the eye. This tube contains an ultrasound instrument that creates a safe vibration in the eye that breaks up the cataract into small pieces.

The pieces of the cataract are gently suctioned out of the eye and an artificial lens put in place. When the tube is removed the eye tissue simply seals over, without the need for any type of stitches. This entire process is actually known as phacoemulsification and has an extremely high success rate with very few complications.

Local Anesthesia Only

The entire process of no-stitch cataract surgery is done under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis. This anesthesia of the eye is usually done with drops, meaning no injections for those that are a bit nervous about the idea of a needle.

Patients typically do not require patching of the eye and there is minimal healing time required. Some patients, but not all, may experience mild discomfort in the eye for a day or two after the procedure. Most people do not need to drastically change their typical lifestyle during the healing process which can last up to eight weeks.

The benefits of no-stitch cataract surgery make this a good option for a wide range of different patients. You and your doctor can discuss the options, any possible risks, and any concerns that you may have before you decide if this is the right choice for your eye health.