Kevin Knauss: Health, History, Travel, Insurance
Covered California does not pay agents to assist consumers with enrollments into individual and family plans. The insurance plan or carrier compensates the agent. Agents are not paid anything for answering questions about Covered California. They are only paid a commission if the person enrolls into a health plan the agent represents and is appointed with.
Now, it seems they have set up their communication structure in such a way as to thwart any meaningful discussion between them, agents or potential consumers. If I can’t access information for my clients, then I am not providing all the services my clients expect. If the health plan throws up barriers to my access, then it is not a functional health plan in my eyes.
The San Francisco Library was also very gracious in scanning a letter to Catlin from A. T. Arrowsmith from 1853 that they had in their archive. Some of the material I was able to glean through email requests have become blog posts on my website. Other material either confirms certain aspects of Catlin’s life or supports my overall timeline.
The Premium plan is fairly comprehensive covering all of the minor and major dental services that are normally encountered. In addition, it also has limited coverage for teeth whitening, mouth-guards, orthodontics, and dental implants. The major services are covered at 50 percent after the 6-month waiting period. The 6-month waiting period is better than some plans that have a 12-month waiting period, but it also adds to the cost of the Premium plan.
Unbeknownst to many people, most California health plans cover emergency care anywhere in the United States and treat it as if it were in-network. This means that if you have a Silver 70 plan and are rushed to the emergency room of the nearest hospital while on vacation in upstate New York, your copayment will be $400 just as if the emergency services were performed at your local home office.
As of November 2020, the only way to apply for an exemption through Covered California was to use an online application that utilizes DocuSign. For individuals who do not own a computer or do not have internet access, this could be challenge. I have not found any paper exemption applications on the Covered California website. That doesn’t mean they are not there or that they won’t be created later.
The only way you can ever receive the Premium Tax Credit subsidy to lower your health insurance premium, either on a monthly basis or when you file your federal or state tax return, is to enroll in a health plan through Covered California. The subsidy can be a form of income protection. In the event that the household has a sudden drop of income in the middle of the year, the Covered California application can be updated with the lower income amount and trigger the subsidy to lower the health insurance premium.
Premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance for Original Medicare, 2021. Individuals with Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans may not realizes some of the higher Medicare costs.
With the Niro PHEV I’ll have 26 miles of all EV range and approximately 44 miles per gallon when burning gasoline in hybrid mode. Except in the winter when the petrol engine must run to heat up the cabin, I should be traveling in all EV mode when I trek out to the grocery story, Post Office, or even to see one of my local clients. My goal with a new car is to reduce my fossil fuel consumption as much as possible. The Niro PHEV will meet that goal, short of investing in an all EV car.
Upon renewing Covered California coverage or applying for new health insurance, new questions will pop up if your income is listed as alimony. Specifically, Covered California wants to know the date of the divorce or modification of the decree. This is all to determine if the specified alimony payments can be considered as income for the Covered California premium tax credit subsidies.
