Brought to you by Alison Gordon Insurance Services, Inc. CA license #0780178

Tax Credits

Part of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare),  people get a tax credit to help them pay for their insurance premium.  Tax credit eligibility is determined by the FPL guidelines (your annual household income).

Socialized medicine

Aka universal health coverage, a government-run insurance system combined with private insurance policies.

POS Plans (Point of Service)

No, not THAT POS abbreviation 🙂   Point-Of-Service network model which combines the HMO and PPO models in one plan.

Medi-caid / Medi-Cal

A government program for folks with lower incomes to help them pay for medical care.  In CA, this program is called Medi-Cal.

HDHP / High Deductible Health Plan

An HSA-compatible plan with a high deductible.

FSA / Flexible Spending Account

If your employer offers this, an account in which to put tax-free money to pay for medical expenses, but you can only contribute a certain amount determined by the feds every year.

Federal Poverty Level / FPL

The feds decide the income brackets for Medi-caid, cost-share reduction plans with a subsidy, subsidized plans, or not qualifying for assistance.  The FPL guidelines are based on tax filing household and income.  It changes every year.

EMTALA law (Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act)

A law that says that emergency rooms cannot refuse any patient, regardless of their ability to pay.

Death panels

Don’t exist!   A politician warned that Obamacare would have death panels deciding if sick or elderly people would be allowed to get insurance or letting them die. This wasn’t ever a provision of the ACA.

Co-insurance

Think about the term… what does “co” anything mean (think “co-worker” for example)?  Sharing!  You’re sharing costs with the insurance company.