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Great Lakes Insurance & Financial Services Agency | 6095 28th St. SE | Suite 200 | Grand Rapids | Michigan | 49546 |
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Please complete this subsidy application and return to our office for processing. DOWNLOAD SUBSIDY APPLICATION HERE It is the first step in applying for coverage through the Marketplace. It is the paper version of what's not working on www.Healthcare.gov. You will get a response letter in the mail from HHS telling you how much your subsidy is, then we can assist with your online application. HERE is a link to calculate your potential subsidy for 2014 health insurance. The subsidy is based on a formula the government created to help you afford health insurance. The subsidy amount will be sent directly to your insurance carrier each month in 2014 to pay a portion of your premium. You will need to pay the remaining amount. When you file your 2014 taxes, the subsidy will be adjusted to reflect your actual income. Be aware, you may owe more in taxes if you underestimate your income. It can also be increased should your income fall below your expectation. However, if you are eligible for Medicaid, no subsidy is allowed. Please consult with your tax preparer for personal advise. Jeanine Kinzie is a Licensed Health Insurance Agent, Licensed Life Insurance Agent and a Federally Facilitated Marketplace Enroller from Grand Rapids, Michigan. President Obama announced that Americans that currently have individual health care policies can keep the policies for a period of one year. The decision is designed to ease the impact on individuals who have received cancellation notices from their health insurance company because the policies do not meet essential health benefit requirements under the Accountable Care Act (ACA). Health Insurers will be required to notify individuals that have policies that predate the ACA that other benefit alternatives are available under the ACA and also must specify the areas of their current plan that fall short of ACA essential benefits. The President’s announcement does not impact employer sponsored health care benefit programs. Blue Cross Blue Shield & Anthem are currently reviewing the details of the President's announcement. We expect they will make an announcement within a week. There are logistical issues involved. The internal software system for 2014 may not allow for the compatibility of current plans and new PPACA plans since it wasn't designed to. In addition, the upcoming holiday closures create a short time frame for which changes are to occur. If this decision of the Administration was made earlier in the year, it would have avoided a lot of headaches. We have been fighting for your rights to keep your current plan and shop for something better. Freedom of choice has been your right and we advocate personal decisions for highest satisfaction in using health insurance benefits. We will keep you updated to the options available. We anticipate resolution by mid-December. Thank you for your patience during this time of transition. Jeanine Kinzie is a Licensed Health Insurance Agent, Licensed Life Insurance Agent and a Federally Facilitated Marketplace Enroller from Grand Rapids, Michigan. APTC is Advanced Premium Tax Credit. This is the monthly subsidy that the government sends to the insurance companies to reduce premiums. Currently, it is only possible to get this if you apply thru the Marketplace. www.healthcare.gov Federally Facilitated Marketplace Enroller #JKINZIE49316@616 National Producer Number #8049289 For HELP, Contact Jeanine. Jeanine Kinzie is a Licensed Health Insurance Agent, Licensed Life Insurance Agent and a Federally Facilitated Marketplace Enroller from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
By Jemal R. Brinson and Ryan Haggerty | Tribune graphics Key part of Affordable Care Act will make health coverage more widely available. A key part of the Affordable Care Act takes effect Tuesday, when millions of Americans are expected to begin signing up for new health insurance plans, many of which will be subsidized by the federal government. The policies will be sold by various companies through government-run websites called exchanges or marketplaces, where people can compare plans before choosing their best option. The exchanges were created to offer affordable coverage to people who don’t have insurance or who pay too much for their coverage, with most low-income families qualifying for Medicaid or federal subsidies that will help them pay for their policies. Most people who have coverage through their jobs will likely keep their current policies, although some may be eligible for policies offered through the exchanges. Insurers selling plans through the exchanges cannot deny coverage or charge more to people with pre-existing medical conditions, and they must cover treatments for those conditions. Many preventive services also will be covered at no cost. About 7 million people are expected to use the exchanges to shop for new policies, with coverage beginning in 2014, according to the Congressional Budget Office. With a few exceptions, people who do not have insurance will face a tax penalty, starting next year at $95 or 1 percent of household income, whichever is greater. Here’s a look at how Americans will access health coverage once the exchanges open, plus information about how implementation of the health care law varies across the states.
SOURCES: Tribune Newspapers reporting, Kaiser Family Foundation, whitehouse.gov, healthcare.gov, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Census Bureau, Department of Health and Human Services Have questions? I can help you navigate through the confusing marketplace. Contact me! Federally Facilitated Marketplace Enroller #JKINZIE49316@616 National Producer Number #8049289 Jeanine Kinzie is a Licensed Health Insurance Agent, Licensed Life Insurance Agent and a Federally Facilitated Marketplace Enroller from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
No Coverage Options - DOWNLOAD HERE Group Coverage Options - DOWNLOAD HERE It is recommended that you distribute the attached notice above to your employees prior to October 1st. (Future new hires should receive it within 15 days of hire date.) There are no fines for not distributing it prior to October 1st, per the DOL notice dated 09/11/13. This notice is to inform your employees of the opening of the Federally Facilitated Marketplace and their options to purchase insurance through the Marketplace (formerly called Exchange) which is scheduled to open 10/1/13. We believe the opening may be delayed due to security issues. As of this date, we still do not have plan designs and rates available for quoting the carriers on the Marketplace, so several areas are running behind schedule. We are registered enrollers for the Marketplace and can assist your employees if they contact us at 888-883-5290 and/or use our FFM Enroller # JKINZIE49316@616 and NPN # 8049289 on their application. The majority of employees will not be eligible for a subsidy, due to the premium assistance they receive from you, their employer. However, spouses and dependents may be eligible for a subsidy, depending on several factors. Part time workers are encouraged to contact us for assistance in purchasing insurance on or off the Marketplace, depending on their situation. Penalties for not having coverage are 1% of adjusted gross income on 2014 taxes, and increase in subsequent years. We wish to be the point of contact for your employees in order to ensure they have the proper information regarding your plan and contribution. If incorrect information is reported to the Marketplace, your business may be subject to a fine for an employee who received a subsidy. It is easier to prevent a problem than fix it when it comes to fines. The fines are also not tax deductible. This is complicated and ever changing. Please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have. We are here to help you manage your employee benefits. Jeanine Kinzie is a Licensed Health Insurance Agent, Licensed Life Insurance Agent and a Federally Facilitated Marketplace Enroller from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
CLICK to DOWNLOAD this handy little guide to answer basic questions about PPACA Healthcare Reform from United Healthcare.
Please contact me for any questions not covered in the booklet. Health care reform requires that all individual and small group health plans offer these 10 essential benefits starting in January 2014. Many of the benefits weren't provided or fully covered in the past, so including them means more benefits with more protection for you. Ambulatory patient services - Care you receive without being admitted to a hospital - such as at a clinic, physician's office or same-day surgery center. Emergency services - Care for conditions which, if not immediately treated, could lead to serious disability or death. Hospitalization - Care you receive as a patient in a hospital, such as room and board, care from doctors and nurses, and tests and drugs administered during your stay. Maternity and newborn care - Care provided to women during pregnancy and during and after labor; care for newly born children. Mental health and substance abuse disorder services - Care to evaluate, diagnose and treat mental health and substance abuse issues. Prescription drug coverage - Drugs prescribed by a doctor to treat an acute illness, like an infection, or an ongoing condition, like high blood pressure. Rehabilitation and habilitation services and devices - Services and devices to help people with injuries, disabilities or chronic conditions gain or recover mental and physical skills. Laboratory services - Testing blood, tissues, etc., from a patient to help a doctor diagnose a medical condition and monitor the effectiveness of treatment. Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management - These services include routine physicals, screening and immunizations. Chronic disease management is an integrated approach to manage an ongoing condition, like asthma or diabetes. Pediatric services - The other nine essential benefits are provided to children along with dental and vision care. Resources For Health Care Reform Updates - Websites To Check In With www.KFF.org www.AHIP.com www.HHS.gov www.CBO.gov www.NAIC.org www.statereforum.org/states www.ncpa.org Jeanine Kinzie is a Licensed Health Insurance Agent, Licensed Life Insurance Agent and a Federally Facilitated Marketplace Enroller from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Under the new health care reform laws, there will be some changes coming in the way you pick, purchase and pay for your plan. Here are some of the upcoming steps and dates to remember: October 1 The Health Insurance Marketplace opens for business for coverage effective Jan. 1, 2014. It is optional for you to participate if you already have coverage. Most carriers are not forcing any changes to current coverage until 1/1/15 for individual plans. Group insurance benefits must upgrade to the new benefit requirements effective the renewal date next year. The enrollment form does not include health status with the exception of tobacco use. Plans will be more uniform since they must conform to Essential Health Benefits of the "metal" plans: Bronze (60%), Silver (70%), Gold (80%), Platinum (90%), and Catastrophic (available to those in certain situations, under age 30). We encourage you use our services for comparing your options an enrolling in a new plan if it is a better option for you. Open enrollment starts Oct. 1, 2013. We will be able to enroll you in a non-medically underwritten plan for 1/1/14. For the initial year only, open enrollment lasts from 10/1/13 to 3/31/14. Coverage begins wither 1/1/14, or the 1st of the following month (for next year only), to ensure no gap in coverage. If you do not purchase insurance, most will have to pay 1% of their adjusted gross income as a penalty. We can assist you in calculating your subsidy so you know what your net cost is anticipated to be. You have an option of having the insurance carrier receive monthly payments from the government, or you can get a refundable tax credit if you do not receive a monthly subsidy. In most cases, subsidies are not available for those with group insurance options. January 1 Tax credits (or subsidies) become available. Go to http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator/ and use theSubsidy Calculator Tool to see if you qualify. Be forewarned, there are a lot of moving parts to this and it's getting more complicated than ever. Your accountant may have recommendations for your situation due to income projections changing for 2014. Keep in mind that open enrollment ending means that you won't be able to purchase coverage anytime during the year, without a qualifying condition. A qualifying condition would be loss of group coverage due to job loss or change of family status (birth, divorce, adoption, marriage). The next open enrollment would be October 1st, 2014 for January 1, 2015 effective date. Jeanine Kinzie is a Licensed Health Insurance Agent, Licensed Life Insurance Agent and a Federally Facilitated Marketplace Enroller from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
We, as health insurance agents, are currently being trained to give advice in order to determine who is best served on their current plan (group or individual), and on or off the marketplace (exchange). In order to do so, we will need to know your Adjusted Gross Income from your 2012 taxes. We realize it's a confidential topic, but it is required information to make the calculation and create pertinent advice. It is very important to work with an ethical agent. I believe some agents will entice people with a high subsidy so it makes the insurance look like it's cheaper, but in all actuality, they may get the subsidy taken back and owe more taxes on 4/15/2015. Then instead of a rebate, they will owe taxes and not know why. The unethical agent shrugs and goes on to the next prospect. Please....please...do not try this at home and apply online for several reasons. Scams online abound and fraudulent telemarketing has already begun. Do not give your social security number, and other confidential information to a stranger. Identity theft is real and painful. Secondly, there are certain scenarios which may affect your situation which are not fully addressed online. As soon as the Affordable Care Act plan benefits summaries and rates are available, we can provide advice. We expect that to be October 1st when the "Marketplace" opens. We can represent you should you choose to participate with the Marketplace or stay independent of it. We can still write existing plans until 12/31/13. Existing plan designs may be available until 12/31/14, depending on the carrier and plan. Current rates are still very low compared to Marketplace rates with a limited subsidy. Encourage your family and friends to seek representation from an experienced agent. Please contact us with any questions and if there's answers, we'll find them! Jeanine Kinzie is a Licensed Health Insurance Agent, Licensed Life Insurance Agent and a Federally Facilitated Marketplace Enroller from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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About Jeanine KinzieI love to work one-on-one with my clients to provide safe investment choices which will contribute to the financial success and security of individuals and families. ResourcesCategories
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3205 68th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49316
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