More People Like ObamaCare Because They Have Learned to Maximize the ACA System.

July 28, 2017

Want to know one reason why more people WHO HAVE ObamaCare like it now, when they hated it just 4 years ago? Because they and/or their accountants have finally learned how to play the "Milk ObamaCare" game. Here's one such small-business owner:

"Julie Grady, a 59-year-old small business owner in Carson City, Nevada, is currently covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nevada, part of Anthem, which has already decided to leave the exchanges in her county and most of the state. Carson City will have no insurer on the exchanges next year.

    Grady’s pays a reduced premium of $70 per month and a deductible under $1,000 for her plan, which is part of the Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare. Grady is looking at being uninsured, as she was before the law.

    “I would have to go without health insurance,” she said. “I would just stay healthy, hike, eat well. I’d be in trouble if something catastrophic happened. I would lose everything.”"

Source: www.reuters.com...

You see that? A 59 year old small business owner is paying just $70 a month for a small $1,000 deductible! That's because:

1. Julie Grady has learned to reduce her MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) to a level where she qualifies for most of her $800 @ month "Silver" ObamaCare health insurance premium to be paid by the U.S. Government, aka U.S. taxpayers.

2. Due to her low MAGI, her health insurance Silver plan Maximum Annual Out of Pocket is lowered from approx. $6,000 to $1,000. If Julie has a $6,000 (or higher) medical claim, the Government will pay the $5,000, and Julie will only have to pay $1,000.

This is the "Cost Sharing Reduction Subsidy" that the Federal courts ruled is ILLEGAL last year, because the funds were never appropriated for CSR subsidies, before/after ObamaCare was signed into law. President Trump is constantly threatening to follow the court's instructions, and shut off this MONTHLY subsidy that the US Government sends to Health Insurers, for their CSR-eligible clients. But thus far, his compassion, and hope that Republicans would Repeal-Replace ObamaCare have kept the monthly CSR payment flowing to insurance companies, on the 1st day of every month.


Because one aspect of my career is advising people how to get maximum benefit from their insurance plans, I've educated a lot of individuals and families on how to legally reduce their Modified Adjusted Gross Income down to the "magic" threshold (under 251% of Federal Poverty Level), where they have most of the premium, and most of their annual deductible/OOP, paid by the U.S. Government/Taxpayers.

From what I can tell, about 20% of those who once despised the insanely high ACA-ObamaCare premiums and Out-of-Pocket/Deductible, are now FIRMLY in ObamaCare's corner, and would hate to see the law changed. They learned how to legally gain maximum benefit from the Affordable Care Act. As a welcome by-product, they also reduced the taxes they pay to the Federal Government too.

-CareWeMust

a reply to: carewemust

Well, I don't blame the humans for making the best of a crappy situation.

a reply to: carewemust

It's no different than anything else. The rich will cheat on their taxes, the poor will remain poor due to lack of upward mobility, and the middle class will do their damnedest to stay middle class.

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: carewemust

It's no different than anything else. The rich will cheat on their taxes, the poor will remain poor due to lack of upward mobility, and the middle class will do their damnedest to stay middle class.

I disagree with your supposition that rich people cheat on their taxes. It isn't cheating to use the existing system to your advantage.

originally posted by: Metallicus
a reply to: carewemust

Well, I don't blame the humans for making the best of a crappy situation.

Right. After all, it's not like we're talking about professional moochers. It's more of a "If you can't beat em, join em" mentality, with this one issue.

And this is why we can't have nice things.

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: carewemust

It's no different than anything else. The rich will cheat on their taxes, the poor will remain poor due to lack of upward mobility, and the middle class will do their damnedest to stay middle class.

In the case of maximizing ObamaCare benefits, it's the middle/upper-middle class who are doing what I describe in the O.P.. Usually people who own, or have started, a small business.

The rich don't mind paying for a high-deductible ObamaCare bronze plan.

originally posted by: c2oden
And this is why we can't have nice things.

Maybe you set your sights too high, C2Oden? If the U.S. goes to Single-Payer, most Americans will have to accept a lower standard of living.

originally posted by: Metallicus

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: carewemust

It's no different than anything else. The rich will cheat on their taxes, the poor will remain poor due to lack of upward mobility, and the middle class will do their damnedest to stay middle class.

I disagree with your supposition that rich people cheat on their taxes. It isn't cheating to use the existing system to your advantage.

...A system they lobbied to get created in order to benefit them.

The "average" person can't donate 20k to a SuperPAC and attend expensive fundraiser dinners to push for "favors". When you have money, your vote matters more. Period.

The Princeton study clearly shows that "the preferences of the average American upon public policy decisions is statistically insignificant".

But, if you belong to the segment of the population with $$$? A smaller segment?

You get your way. It's how it works. You create a gamed system so you can game it.

originally posted by: carewemust

originally posted by: c2oden
And this is why we can't have nice things.

Maybe you set your sights too high, C2Oden? If the U.S. goes to Single-Payer, most Americans will have to accept a lower standard of living.

I'm not advocating single-payer.
Your post proves how flawed up Obamacare is.

a reply to: carewemust


My parents are in their 80's and are delighted with Obamacare and Medicare. They are just jubilant that every month they have to decide which drugs they can't afford so that they can pay their taxes to keep their property and home they built. Then they have to worry about food!


So I guess you could say they have learned to maximize?

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: carewemust

It's no different than anything else. The rich will cheat on their taxes, the poor will remain poor due to lack of upward mobility, and the middle class will do their damnedest to stay middle class.

Oligarchical neo-feudalism. Working as intended.

a reply to: carewemust

last time i had insurance it was pretty decent price and $100 deductible. no idea how you think $1k is a small amount. obamacare screwed the system big time. it needs to be removed not replaced.

originally posted by: carewemust

originally posted by: c2oden
And this is why we can't have nice things.

Maybe you set your sights too high, C2Oden? If the U.S. goes to Single-Payer, most Americans will have to accept a lower standard of living.

Pure crap.

The only ones who'll have a lower standard of living would be the worthless parasites who own the insurance companies. And who cares about them?

a reply to: carewemust

If you are not doing what you can to get everything out of the systems we are given dont get mad when others do. I learned this in the military. They offer alot of things that they dont specifically tell you about or how to get those things but you cant get mad when other figure it out. Instead ask them how they got it so you too can get it.

originally posted by: Kettu

originally posted by: Metallicus

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: carewemust

It's no different than anything else. The rich will cheat on their taxes, the poor will remain poor due to lack of upward mobility, and the middle class will do their damnedest to stay middle class.

I disagree with your supposition that rich people cheat on their taxes. It isn't cheating to use the existing system to your advantage.

...A system they lobbied to get created in order to benefit them.

The "average" person can't donate 20k to a SuperPAC and attend expensive fundraiser dinners to push for "favors". When you have money, your vote matters more. Period.

The Princeton study clearly shows that "the preferences of the average American upon public policy decisions is statistically insignificant".

But, if you belong to the segment of the population with $$$? A smaller segment?

You get your way. It's how it works. You create a gamed system so you can game it.

Look at Bernie Sanders as an example of how to game the system, the advocate against the 1%ers!! Pays 13%, Trump paid a higher rate..

originally posted by: Ohanka

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: carewemust

It's no different than anything else. The rich will cheat on their taxes, the poor will remain poor due to lack of upward mobility, and the middle class will do their damnedest to stay middle class.

Oligarchical neo-feudalism. Working as intended.

Exactly.

"Show me the trap with shelter, healthcare, and food; where I can spend the rest of my life sacrificing everything to mantain it and I'll gladly walk in".
- Said every American before it was too late.

originally posted by: Metallicus

originally posted by: Abysha
a reply to: carewemust

It's no different than anything else. The rich will cheat on their taxes, the poor will remain poor due to lack of upward mobility, and the middle class will do their damnedest to stay middle class.

I disagree with your supposition that rich people cheat on their taxes. It isn't cheating to use the existing system to your advantage.

Off-shore bank accounts is cheating. So is superfluous use of accountants who know how to write off your yacht as a business expense.

Money begets money. Nobody said it was fair but we can all at least admit that it's true.

a reply to: carewemust

Why do you assume that just because she owns a small business she is middle or upper middle class?

I technically own my own business and I'm right at the poverty line. I'm actually on Medicaid now. To have the subsidies that she does in my state I'd have to be making around $20-25,000 or so I think.

When I calculated what my income would be based on $40,000 (if I hadn't been rejected from all the grants I applied for this year) the premiums were quite a bit more.

But also remember if you were wrong about your income, you have to pay the difference when you do your taxes to make up for the credit. I underestimated my income last year, when I did have ACA, by about $2,000 and so I had a small adjustment in April.

a reply to: ravenshadow13

Like sure maybe some people write off yachts or whatever but some of us are also dead broke trying to get our businesses off the ground so.