Personal Insurance?

[Vombatidae]

I am a non-traditional student and plan to leave my career to go to vet school. My first choice school, LMU, does not currently have any sort of insurance based upon the conversations I had during my interview this past Monday.

I am too old to be on my parent's insurance anymore so I was wondering what people in similar situations do or if anyone has recommendations on more affordable companies or insurance types. I have no pre-existing conditions, however, I do want to ensure that I have insurance due to the nature of this career paired with getting older and things happen.

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[battie]

I also do not live on my parents insurance. For vet school, I'm staying on the school insurance because it's actually surprisingly not bad here. It's the simplest solution for me and, baring any major emergency, it's passible.

 

[Jess Monster]

Apply for Medicaid.

You will not qualify for insurance off the ACA exchange without an income or be able to afford private individual insurance on your school loans, nor should you try.

 

[LyraGardenia]

Apply for Medicaid.

You will not qualify for insurance off the ACA exchange without an income or be able to afford private individual insurance on your school loans, nor should you try.

I found this out the hard way last year. It makes no sense, how can someone make too LITTLE to qualify for aid??? IIRC I qualified to select a plan, but not for the tax credit, and I couldn't afford any of the plans without that.

I'd double check if there's student insurance available through the main campus that vet students are able to get, that's what I ended up having to do.

 

[missdarjeeling]

I found this out the hard way last year. It makes no sense, how can someone make too LITTLE to qualify for aid??? IIRC I qualified to select a plan, but not for the tax credit, and I couldn't afford any of the plans without that.

I'd double check if there's student insurance available through the main campus that vet students are able to get, that's what I ended up having to do.

It's because the program was meant to expand coverage for people who aren't eligible for Medicaid because they make too much to qualify but not quite enough to afford individual insurance. If you make less than 100% (or 138%) of the federal poverty line for your family size, you're presumably eligible for Medicaid in your state and shouldn't be needing to purchase a plan on the exchanges.

The problem has been with states that refused the Medicaid expansion. The way the legislation was intended to work was to give states funds to expand Medicaid coverage (raising the cut off up to 138% of FPL and also making childless adults eligible), but after the Supreme Court ruled expansion was optional, a lot of states declined. In those states, there are millions of people who aren't eligible for the premium tax credit on the exchanges and who also aren't eligible for Medicaid in their state when they would have been if the state had accepted the expansion. So childless adults in many of those states are ineligible for Medicaid, period, and have no way of getting the premium tax credits unless they make more than 100% of FPL. Or unless their state government reverses course on the Medicaid expansion. Assuming the federal government doesn't get around to blowing everything up first.

So whether you'll be eligible for Medicaid may depend on what state you end up in. I think it'd be a good idea to also ask schools/current students directly if you get a chance to visit.

 

[LyraGardenia]

It's because the program was meant to expand coverage for people who aren't eligible for Medicaid because they make too much to qualify but not quite enough to afford individual insurance. If you make less than 100% (or 138%) of the federal poverty line for your family size, you're presumably eligible for Medicaid in your state and shouldn't be needing to purchase a plan on the exchanges.

The problem has been with states that refused the Medicaid expansion. The way the legislation was intended to work was to give states funds to expand Medicaid coverage (raising the cut off up to 138% of FPL and also making childless adults eligible), but after the Supreme Court ruled expansion was optional, a lot of states declined. In those states, there are millions of people who aren't eligible for the premium tax credit on the exchanges and who also aren't eligible for Medicaid in their state when they would have been if the state had accepted the expansion. So childless adults in many of those states are ineligible for Medicaid, period, and have no way of getting the premium tax credits unless they make more than 100% of FPL. Or unless their state government reverses course on the Medicaid expansion. Assuming the federal government doesn't get around to blowing everything up first.

So whether you'll be eligible for Medicaid may depend on what state you end up in. I think it'd be a good idea to also ask schools/current students directly if you get a chance to visit.

Ah, that makes sense. Yeah, that was the situation I was in, Missouri refused expansion of Medicaid.

 

[Vombatidae]

When I asked two students at Lincoln Memorial, they said that the school was in talks but currently did not offer anything. When I looked up the Medicaid expansion for Tennessee (which is where I'd assume I would get it from because I would be leaving Texas), it said, "Because Tennessee has not yet expanded Medicaid under the ACA, eligibility guidelines are unchanged from 2013, and non-disabled, non-pregnant adults without dependent children are ineligible for Medicaid, regardless of their income." - So in that case what do you do? I looked up pricing through Obama care - single, 29, no dependents, etc. and it says roughly $350-$800 a month. Is that my only option?

As a side question, would it still even be Tennessee since their vet portion is technically in Virginia?

Source: health insurance website under Tennessee

 

[WildZoo]

When I asked two students at Lincoln Memorial, they said that the school was in talks but currently did not offer anything. When I looked up the Medicaid expansion for Tennessee (which is where I'd assume I would get it from because I would be leaving Texas), it said, "Because Tennessee has not yet expanded Medicaid under the ACA, eligibility guidelines are unchanged from 2013, and non-disabled, non-pregnant adults without dependent children are ineligible for Medicaid, regardless of their income." - So in that case what do you do? I looked up pricing through Obama care - single, 29, no dependents, etc. and it says roughly $350-$800 a month. Is that my only option?

As a side question, would it still even be Tennessee since their vet portion is technically in Virginia?

Source: health insurance website under Tennessee

I think it would depend on where you're living, not necessarily the location of the school.

 

[SkiOtter]

As a side question, would it still even be Tennessee since their vet portion is technically in Virginia?

Source: health insurance website under Tennessee

I think it would depend on where you're living, not necessarily the location of the school.

I'm pretty sure they're even close enough where you could live in Kentucky if needed if you were able to get Medicaid by living there.

 

[Vombatidae]

I'm pretty sure they're even close enough where you could live in Kentucky if needed if you were able to get Medicaid by living there.

I'm so glad you said that - online says they have some of the best studied cases of success with expansion. Great idea, thank you!

 

[10999KL]

I think ISU offers health insurance, at least, but I'm not sure how much it costs or how it compares to Medicaid.

Based on this whole website and checking ISUs insurance info out, it seems very similar to my husband's current insurance at University of Arizona (Aetna has a student insurance that they do through several schools) and he really is pleased with his coverage and cost. I know at their applicant open house they did discuss that for their vet students, insurance was available. I had no idea until I saw this thread though that LMU doesn't offer health insurance... That's lovely.

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