Insurance Upheaval
Who isn’t losing their healthcare due to the 2025 domestic budget bill?
As many of you are well-aware, the recent US Large, Looming Legislation has made some considerable changes to who will have access to health care. Many new Medicaid restrictions were put in place, and the ACA subsidies will be all but eliminated by the end of the year. Please note the figures below are for single adults. The numbers change as family size increases.
- Single individuals from age 19-65 who cannot prove that they work 80+ hours per month will no longer qualify for Medicaid. There are no exceptions for disabled individuals who are not homebound.
- Medicaid-qualified individuals now making over $15,650 must pay a $35 copay for Medicaid services. This is based on the federal poverty level. Yet CT and NY will be under the same rules. Our housing costs are 19% higher, our utilities 36% higher, and our groceries are 10% higher than the national level.
- Any individual earning over $62,000 will no longer qualify for ACA subsidies in a few months. Again, a living wage in CT is $52,581.
- Those who do qualify for subsidies will see their monthly premiums increase 4.5% and their out-of-pocket limits increase $900.
We know from well-documented public health research that when those below the poverty line have to pay for health care, they simply do not even make health appointments.
What is the solution? If one person can get the care they no longer can afford, we may have taken a big first step.