# Affordable Care Act question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affordable-care-act-question/677248 "2013-12-27T01:09:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affordable-care-act-question/677248/1 "2013-12-27T01:09:02Z")
A friend tried to sign up for health insurance under the ACA, stating a two-person household and an annual income of $12,000. The website said he was not eligible for assistance, and the cheapest (Bronze) plan was $900/month. This doesn’t seem right. Anyone know what they problem might be? ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affordable-care-act-question/677248/2 "2013-12-27T01:13:26Z")
They should probably be signing up for Medicaid, not health insurance. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affordable-care-act-question/677248/3 "2013-12-27T01:27:58Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > They should probably be signing up for Medicaid, not health insurance. Yes, and hopefully the friend isn’t in a red state. The Medicaid expansion part of the ACA that was supposed to cover these very low-income folks was struck down, and is being implemented on a state-by-state basis along party lines. That income is in the grey area where it might or might not be covered based on a state’s rules. ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affordable-care-act-question/677248/4 "2013-12-27T02:36:16Z")
Setting aside the fact the law itself will prove to be a disaster, here’s some good advice…use an Agent. The Agents are not the “navigators.” Agents are traditional insurance agents who are authorized by Covered California/Obamacare. They are listed on the Covered California website. If they are all as good as the one I dealt with (on behalf of my son) you’ll be much better off. They get paid for facilitating the transactions. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affordable-care-act-question/677248/5 "2013-12-27T03:20:49Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Yes, and hopefully the friend isn’t in a red state. Alas. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affordable-care-act-question/677248/6 "2013-12-27T03:30:56Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Alas. Check anyway – the ACA Medicaid thingy was an expansion, not a creation. They might be covered under the pre-existing qualifications. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affordable-care-act-question/677248/7 "2013-12-27T04:31:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Alas. > [@TimeWinder](#): > > Check anyway – the ACA Medicaid thingy was an expansion, not a creation. They might be covered under the pre-existing qualifications. Plus, I believe some red states are choosing to expand now that they’re getting some push back on the uncovered people who are falling through the cracks. This page from [healthcare.gov](http://healthcare.gov) might be useful: [Medicaid expansion & what it means for you](https://www.healthcare.gov/what-if-my-state-is-not-expanding-medicaid/) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affordable-care-act-question/677248/8 "2013-12-27T05:06:23Z")
> [@SanDiegoTim](#): > > Setting aside the fact the law itself will prove to be a disaster, Let’s discuss that in Great Debates, not here please. A whole lot of people wouldn’t consider that “a fact”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affordable-care-act-question/677248/9 "2013-12-27T14:51:56Z")
As it turns out, this was only a test my friend was conducting to see what people in the situation described in the OP would find when they visited the healthcare website. He concluded that a self-employed person living in a state that refuses to expand Medicaid is out of luck. I have not tried the experiment myself, but ISTM that some people that use the website may be seeing premiums that are much higher than ones they can actually get. Since the situation in the OP was a test, and it does not apply to my friends, please close the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/affordable-care-act-question/677248/10 "2013-12-27T14:59:04Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Since the situation in the OP was a test, and it does not apply to my friends, please close the thread. Closed at request of OP. Those wishing further discussion of the ACA are welcome to open a new thread in GD. Colibri General Questions Moderator