Employers will provide most coverage under new health care reform

[OzarkDem]

Most people today get their coverage from their employer and the plans proposed by Clinton (and to some degree Obama) will provide more incentives to do so.

Expect to see more employers offering health care coverage. Expect to see the amount employees pay to match their employers cost decline since employers will be allowed to purchase insurance from government plans as well as private plans.

Today, individuals who have to purchase insurance on their own are the ones who are penalized or excluded altogether from the system. Clinton's plan allows them to purchase insurance at affordable, competitive rates if their employer doesn't provide it or if they're self - employed. If they are low income and can't afford it, they will get Medicaid / SCHIP coverage which is free.

So most of the debate about forcing every individual to buy their own health insurance is invalid. If you have a job, your employer will still provide coverage, at lower cost to both of you and if they don't provide coverage, they probably will begin to do so.

But you will only be required to purchase your own insurance if your employer doesn't provide it or if you refuse to participate in their plan, or if you're unemployed or are self employed but have a high enough income to make you ineligible for Medicaid or SCHIP.

Under Clinton's plan, if you have no other option but to purchase your own insurance, you will get a tax credit to help pay for it and your insurance premium will be capped to rise no higher than a percentage of your income.

As for Medicaid eligibility expansion - under Clinton's plan it will include adults w/ no dependent children. Clinton hasn't named an amount, but my guess is the expansion would be in the neighborhood of 200 to 250% of FPL. That means eligibility 200% or 250% of the income levels shown at the link below. For a single person, that would be an income of $20,800 (200%) or $26,000 (250%). Income levels are higher in AK and HI.

http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/08poverty.shtml

On edit: for kids graduating from college right now, I checked on a plan for someone your age - the cost was about $95/mo today for private insurance. Under health care reform, with a government option, the amount will probably be less than that. If you graduate from school and have a job, but your employer doesn't provide health insurance and your income is in the moderate range (see above) $80 or $90 a month isn't too much for health care coverage.

[SammyWinstonJack]

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