# How does an American part-time employee get health insurance with ACA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 12, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720 "2013-03-12T16:08:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720/1 "2013-03-12T16:08:29Z")
I am 39 years old and have been a student and/or part time employee for the past 10 years, so that is how long I have been without health insurance. I don’t have any major health problems. How do I now obtain affordable health insurance under Obamacare? And if I can’t do it now, then when? I put this in GQ because I’m looking for a factual answer, not a debate about “affordable” or the ACA. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720/2 "2013-03-12T16:12:58Z")
Depending on your income, you’ll either qualify for Medicaid under the new expansion (unless your State is refusing the expansion) or you’ll buy insurance on the exchange. In the latter case you’ll probably qualify for a subsidy that scales with your income. You can calculate [the size of said subsidy here](http://healthreform.kff.org/subsidycalculator.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720/3 "2013-03-12T16:14:27Z")
[Check this out:](http://www.healthcare.gov/law/information-for-you/individuals.html) > [@](#): > > Starting in 2014, if your income is less than the equivalent of about $88,000 for a family of four today and your job doesn’t offer affordable coverage, you may get tax credits to help pay for insurance. > > Starting in 2014, if your employer doesn’t offer insurance, you will be able to buy insurance directly in the Health Insurance Marketplace that gives you power similar to what large businesses and members of Congress have to get better choices and lower prices. Does that help? ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720/4 "2013-03-12T16:37:56Z")
The answer will vary depending on the state. I live in Maryland, so I looked up what’s available here. Their [website](http://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/)says that they will go live in October 2013. Individuals will be able to go to the site to enroll for coverage. There will also be a call center to provide assistance. You should be able to find something similar in your state. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720/5 "2013-03-12T16:46:44Z")
North Carolina was initially ahead of the curve in setting up a domestic exchange, but [your new governor backed out](http://healthreform.kff.org/state-exchange-profiles/north-carolina.aspx) and you’ll have to wait for the feds to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720/6 "2013-03-12T17:35:56Z")
NC’s governor also refused the Medicaid expansion, from what I can tell, so that’s a no-go. So it sounds like you have to wait until the federal exchange goes up in 2014 (if it does then). ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720/7 "2013-03-12T17:50:12Z")
Sorry, I should have noted that I live in Kentucky, but I think that this information is useful for everybody. > [@](#): > > Starting in 2014, if your employer doesn’t offer insurance, you will be able to buy insurance directly in the Health Insurance Marketplace that gives you power similar to what large businesses and members of Congress have to get better choices and lower prices. So, is that January 1, 2014? And will I be able to get in on a federal plan? Or will I have to go through whatever Kentucky sets up? [ETA: I did live in SC until about a year and a half ago. Perhaps y’all are remembering when I was technically a SDMB member (not sure what happened to that) and had a Location?] ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720/8 "2013-03-12T18:38:42Z")
Kentucky will run a state exchange, and that is where you would go for individual insurance if it is not offered by your employer. I should probably caveat this by saying that the Gov has signed an executive order enabling this, but it appears the state legislature may still be fighting it. [This article](http://www.kentucky.com/2012/12/17/2446407/what-to-expect-from-kentuckys.html) states that the Kentucky exchange should be open for enrollment on Oct 1, 2013. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720/9 "2013-03-12T18:39:22Z")
> [@Rucksinator](#): > > [ETA: I did live in SC until about a year and a half ago. Perhaps y’all are remembering when I was technically a SDMB member (not sure what happened to that) and had a Location?] While your location as a guest doesn’t show up in your post, it’s still viewable on [your public profile](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php). ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720/10 "2013-03-12T18:56:11Z")
Since no one has mentioned it, even though ACA exchanges don’t open until Oct 2013 and coverage starts Jan 2014, you can purchase private insurance now - [eHealthInsurance.com](http://eHealthInsurance.com) is a good place to start shopping. Some benefits of the ACA are in effect for insurance now - but I believe you can still be denied coverage or dropped - until 2014 when that will stop. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-an-american-part-time-employee-get-health-insurance-with-aca/652720/11 "2013-03-12T19:06:36Z")
A good point, **jasg**. In addition, I believe the high-risk pools were opened as well, but are now temporarily closed until the exchanges open because they proved so popular that the funding ran out. Your state may also have other options available for risk-sharing.