Submit Your Questions about ACA Open Enrollment

[mquinnKeymaster]

SEIU’s ACA expert Sarah Nolan will be answering questions on ACA open enrollment on December 4th. Post your questions here, either in this thread or by creating a new topic. Have questions on how to use the forum? Email [email protected].

[Michele Nash]

Who qualifies?
If your hours were recently cut so the school could avoid paying, what is your standing?

[Shana Thompson]

Is it still possible to get subsidies through ACA when your employer allows you to buy health insurance through them but won’t actually contribute any money towards your premium?

[sarah nolan]

Hi Michele-
Who qualifies and the hours cut are two different questions. You qualify for a tax credit if you do not have any access to an employer plan, or if the employer plan costs more than 9.5 % of income for an individual plan.
The question of hours as to do with whether your employer has to pay a penalty if you get a tax credit. He/she does it it is a large employer (over 100 in 2015) and you work more than 30 hours per week.

[sarah nolan]

Hi Shana-
It is theoretically possible, but depends on the cost of the plan and your income. If the employer offers a plan and the premium cost is less than 9.5% of your income, and the plan meets basic standards for benefits (called “actuarial value”), you cannot get a credit. It seems unlikely that the plan would meet standards and be affordable without an employer contribution to the premium.

[sarah nolan]

Just to add, since it seems unlikely that the employer would offer a plan that met value requirements and was affordable if the employee had to pay the entire premium, then it is likely that the employee would be able to get a tax credit (as long as she/he met income requirements).

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