"Those extra subsidies were enacted in 2021 as part of temporary, pandemic-era relief, boosting financial help for people buying coverage on state-run insurance marketplaces such as Covered California. The law also expanded eligibility to people earning more than 400% of the federal poverty level, about $62,600 for a single person and $128,600 for a family of four. With the expiration of the enhanced subsidies, people above that income threshold no longer receive federal assistance,"
"For Mikayla Tencer, being self-employed already meant juggling higher taxes, irregular income and the constant pressure of finding her own health insurance. This year, it also meant rethinking how often she could afford to see a doctor. The 29-year-old content creator in San Francisco paid $168 a month last year for a Blue Shield health plan through Covered California. This year - without enhanced federal subsidies that expired at the end of December - that same plan would have cost $299 a month."
Self-employed individuals with irregular income face rising health costs and pressure to find affordable coverage. Enhanced federal ACA subsidies enacted in 2021 temporarily expanded eligibility above 400% of the federal poverty level and reduced costs for many buyers on state marketplaces. The expiration of those enhanced subsidies removed assistance for people above that threshold and coincided with an average 10.3% premium increase in Covered California due to rising medical costs. Some people switched to cheaper plans to lower monthly premiums but encountered higher copays, increasing out-of-pocket costs and constraining access to needed primary and mental health care.
#affordable-care-act #health-insurance-costs #subsidy-expiration #covered-california #mental-health-access
Read at Los Angeles Times
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