Carolyn Thomson, ACA Health Insurance Navigator for the Epilepsy Alliance, Florida, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about health insurance.
Thomson is not an agent for health insurance – she simply provides free information and assistance.
She said, “That’s no April Fool’s joke. I do give free assistance to all. Everybody says, oh, how do you do it? Well, this is what my job is, and there is a big importance to having health insurance. You just mentioned all of these accidents, up and down the Keys with injuries. Nobody wants to get sick or get hurt, but if you don’t have health insurance, you can be in a lot of trouble financially. If anything, health insurance will help minimize those costs. The whole premise about insurance is it’s not whether or not you need it, it’s when you’re going to need it, because it’s illness and/or injury is going to happen eventually. You mentioned the essential health benefits. The Affordable Cares Act has given us things like making sure that we don’t have pre existing conditions as a thing. So there’s a lot of different benefits to having health insurance.”
It’s the special enrollment time right now.
Thomson said, “There’s a couple of ways that people could be eligible for special enrollment. There’s certain qualifying events, like if you lost your coverage from your employer or Medicaid, if you got married, got divorced, had a baby, adopted a baby, moved, got out of jail. I mean, there’s a long list, and then there’s low income eligibility, and people don’t think about this. There’s a threshold, and if you make under a certain amount of money, and there’s a chart, but it goes on household size, you qualify for a special enrollment. We can get you done.”
What is tax credits reconciliation?
Thomson said, “When you apply for a Marketplace account, you estimate your income, your tax credits are calculated off that estimated income, but then you get to the end of the year, and there’s a difference between your estimated and your real income. If your real income is less than what you estimated, you get more tax credits back. If it’s more, you pay back some of the subsidy, and that’s part of doing your tax return. Now I’m partnered with the United Way this tax season, in order to help support the tax reconciliation process, you need a form 1095A, I’m there to help.”
There are tax returns that are available for free with VITA.
Thomson said, “VITA is the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance that is put on by the United Way and on Tuesdays we’re at the Harvey Government Building in Key West and on Wednesdays, we’re at the Marathon Library and it’s free assistance or doing tax returns for people who have income, I think it’s $67,000 but then again, I’m sitting there. If there’s questions about your health insurance or about how it interacts with your tax return, I can help.”
How can people get in touch?
Thomson said, “Just give me a call or a text. Well, text is best, because I’m always on the phone. My number is 305-767-3883, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. I do take appointments, both in person and over the phone, and you can come and see me at one of these VITA sites in the next couple of weeks.”
For more information, click here: https://monroe.floridahealth.gov/