Liz Weston: You may be entitled to free health insurance now
by Liz Weston Of Nerdwallet, The Associated Press
Posted May 10, 2021 6:57 am EDT
Last Updated May 10, 2021 at 6:58 am EDT
The latest coronavirus relief package did more than dole out $1,400 checks. The law also made health insurance free for millions more people and reduced costs for others, at least for now.
The American Rescue Plan , which President Joe Biden signed in March, expanded subsidies for people buying their own insurance on Affordable Care Act exchanges. In addition, anyone who receives unemployment benefits this year can qualify for zero-premium health insurance through the exchanges, regardless of income.
Liz Weston Of Nerdwallet
FILE - This undated file photo provided by NerdWallet shows Liz Weston, a columnist for personal finance website NerdWallet.com. (NerdWallet via AP, File) May 10, 2021 - 3:57 AM
The latest coronavirus relief package did more than dole out $1,400 checks. The law also made health insurance free for millions more people and reduced costs for others, at least for now.
The American Rescue Plan , which President Joe Biden signed in March, expanded subsidies for people buying their own insurance on Affordable Care Act exchanges. In addition, anyone who receives unemployment benefits this year can qualify for zero-premium health insurance through the exchanges, regardless of income.
Health Insurance Options for Those too Young for Medicare
If youâre unemployed but too young for Medicare, here are ways to cope with whatâs likely to be a big expense.
Author:
Original:
May 4, 2021
If you recently left the workforce and you’re not yet eligible for Medicare, how might you purchase health insurance? That’s a question many older Americans are now asking.
And here’s what financial planners suggest.
If you re still working: Check with your employer before you leave, said Patricia Hausknost, a certified financial planner and instructor in UC Berkeley Extension s certificate program in personal financial planning. “If you work for a company that has a pension and other great benefits, you might be able to maintain your health care with group rates,” she said.
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Millions of Americans have lost employment in the months since the pandemic began, and many others have had insecure, partial, or sporadic work that didn’t cover their health care costs. Since health insurance is tied to employment for most people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, that has the potential to leave vast numbers with no insurance at all.