Beginning in 2014, most Texans will be required to carry health insurance. The federal marketplace offers dozens of health plans and sliding scale tax credits for eligible individuals. Premium rates vary depending on a consumer's age and where they live. Use this interactive to determine what types of rates and plans are available to individuals in the federal marketplace. Keep in mind that each plan has a different deductible and other cost-sharing provisions — and that this tool doesn't account for family plans. You can also take this Texas Tribune quiz to determine your best options for complying with Obamacare's insurance mandate.
This story was produced in partnership with Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy research and communication organization not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
The Texas Tribune is pleased to provide the opportunity for you to share your observations about this story. We encourage lively debate on the issues of the day, but we ask that you refrain from using profanity or other offensive speech, engaging in personal attacks or name-calling, posting advertising, or wandering away from the topic at hand. To comment, you must be a registered user of the Tribune, and your real name will be displayed. Thanks for taking time to offer your thoughts.
Comments (14)
visule
The interactive appears to include the maximum subsidy. Can the tool be adjusted to disclose the subsidy separately from the premium??
Thanks Trib!
Rita Crawford
I am interest in unemplyed seniors receiving social security subsidies
Elaine Wiant via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Very informative. Thank you.
Adele Roberson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
On Monday evening Jimmy Kimmels show had what he calls "Lie Witness News". Goes to show you that if you threw fifty Americans into a barrel you would find only about ten working brain cells. The sampling of folks interviewed on the street uniformly preferred the Affordable Health Care Act over Obamacare. Obamacare was Socialist and they would never want that for our citizens. The Affordable Health Care Act is "American" and most of them would sign up for it. Some of the idiots that spoke I couldn 't hear very well, because I was laughing so hard. Such vicious people, ignorant and stupid. So many of these people in this country, what in the world have we done to disserve such craziness?
David Guerrero
What liberal propoganda. This doesn't show the real cost of the plan or the amount of the subsidy. You don't even take a person's income into account.
Jeff Jelinek
Part of the disappointment in rates is that it is correlated to 1) age and 2) coverage level (of course). Why? Because those are simple and mindless metrics. What would be more equitable are obesity tests or fitness tests. Lifestyle has more to do with health than age.
Stephen Smith via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Has anyone actually signed up for it, attempted to, or known anyone who has? I am really curious. I have read stories pro and con- but I frankly don't know what is true and what is not. I would really like hearing some actual experience.
Wm Cullum
Showing the monthly premiums is nice, but what about the deductible and co-pay levels? Most people would be surprised to find just how much the real out-of-pocket cost of each policy would be. Just how much would you have to pay, premium, deductible, and copay versus the total cost of you annual healthcare?
Mike Openshaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Useful, since the actual exchanges are flaming unusable disasters. This ISN'T an Apple-level 'gltch'; not even 1 in 100 can complete the process! http://northtexasteaparty.org/2013/10/03/heeeeres-obamacare/
Linda Smith
Could you explain why a 25-year-old living in Region 8 would pay higher premiums than the same demographic group living in Region 3?
In our region (Dallas area)--low-cost catastrophic is $166.08 vs. $104.46 in Region 3.
low-cost bronze is $146.30 vs. $138.28 in Region 3.
low-cost silver is $207.48 vs. $161.75 in Region 3.
second low-cost silver is $213.92 vs. $196.10 in Region 3.
lowest-cost gold is $254.65 vs. $184.51 in Region 3.
How are these rates determined and what is the difference between the coverage offered with each plan? If this is a "federal tax" which was the argument to get it passed through the Supreme Court--then why is this tax not equitable? Why are some having to pay more than others?
Felecia Rose
Answering Linda's question regarding the difference in plan prices due to regions -- it's a matter of the "pool." In order for the insurance companies to predict losses, they figure averages on costs of services, age of the community, health statistics and such. For example, in Linda's region (Dallas area)--the lowest cost catastrophic plan is $166.08 vs. $104.46 in Region 3. That's because the Dallas "pool" is more costly than a region 3 "pool."
Linda, if you're a young woman living in Dallas you can do much better than an ObamaCare plan. In fact, just about anyone in Texas can do better than government regulated insurance. visit www.ObamaCareInTexas.org to find out more
Good Luck!
Gerald Ford
Linda Smith, these rates are set by the private insurance companies. The federal tax argument applied to the penalty for not purchasing insurance, not to the insurance premiums.
David Guerrero, these are the cost of the premiums excluding any subsidies. So these prices are the most anyone would be paying.
To all, there are serious flaws in HealthCare.gov and the ACA roll out. But the actual products are providing Americans access to better health insurance at more competitive rates.
I would highly recommend checking out this website: http://www.thehealthsherpa.com/ It is basically like this Texas Tribune feature, except much more robust and descriptive. It organizes all of the plans listed in the exchanges and tells you how to buy them directly from the insurance companies without having to deal with HealthCare.gov's problems.
Rachel Bowden
Re. Linda Smith's question - With the one exception, the lowest cost plans in Region 3 are different plans than the lowest cost plans in Region 8. Each carrier sets their rates based on their assumptions about the health of the population likely to enroll AND the cost of health care services in each respective region, which . Different carriers negotiate different prices for services; the variation in prices negotiated is largely a product of the respective market power of insurers and providers.
low-cost catastrophic is $166.08 (Scott & White HMO) vs. $104.46 (Humana Connect Basic HMO) in Region 3.
low-cost bronze is $146.30 (BCBS Advantage 6 HMO) vs. $138.28 (BCBS Advantage 6 HMO) in Region 3. (*identical plan; variation is smaller and should reflect geographic variation in claims costs, rather than plan/carrier/network variation)
low-cost silver is $207.48 (BCBS Advantage 3 HMO) vs. $161.75 (Humana Connect HMO) in Region 3.
second low-cost silver is $213.92 (BCBS Advantage 4 HMO) vs. $196.10 (BCBS HMO Advantage 3 HMO) in Region 3.
lowest-cost gold is $254.65 (BCBS Advantage 1 HMO) vs. $184.51 (Humana Connect HMO) in Region 3.
Anyone that wants to see all the plans and premiums should download the spreadsheet here: https://www.healthcare.gov/health-plan-information/ and calculate the rates for different ages based on the full rate curve available on pg 7 here: http://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Files/Downloads/market-reforms-guidance-2-25-2013.pdf.
renee goodwin
I haven't really looked into the insurance on the ACA yet, but do they have any kind of family plans?