And, How the Supreme Court Decision on Obamacare Screwed Unemployed, childless, single adults.
Before the Supreme Court did its thing, under Obamacare states were required to expand their Medicaid coverage including features that reflected modern US times, high unemployment, fewer married couples such that part of that expansion would make adults, without children, and unemployed eligible for Medicaid, health insurance designed for the poor.
Step in the Supreme Court which in its wisdom decided that making all Medicaid federal help contingent on Medicaid expansion was unconstitutional, therefore expanding Medicaid became an OPTION for states under Obamacare with many states opting out.
In states run by stupider people, (Yes, stupider, I discussed my opinion in a past post) those states that opted out of the Medicaid expansion, included many that also opted out of a state-run health benefits exchange.
However, opting out of the health benefits exchanges simply means their residents can use the Federal site. But opting out of the Medicaid means that there is a class of individuals, those who are unemployed adults without children who are ELIGIBLE for NO health insurance under Medicaid, or through the health exchanges (which are designed for employees).
I contacted the “LIVE CHAT” on HHS.gov to make sure I wasn’t missing something. After all, many adults are unemployed AND without health insurance, without Medicaid where are they to go for health insurance? The answer is nowhere. They will remain UNINSURED. The good news is that it appears that at least they won’t be taxed by the individual mandate for Obamacare’s failure to provide ANY insurance option for unemployed adult Americans without children.
If you’re trying to get back on your feet, consider exploring opportunities in another state if possible, one that has Medicaid expansion programs in place that don’t include residency requirements. If you cannot move, you must still get the care you need by going to a hospital emergency room or finding out whether there is a community health center that will only charge based on income. Good luck.
The good news is that since you’ve fallen through the cracks of Obamacare, you are likely exempt from the financial burdens of Obamacare, and as the saying goes, you can’t get blood from a stone, so get your care and worry about the bills later. That’s the system as it is today, you didn’t create it, you’re just living in it.
