November 9, 2017

Three Things to Know About Obamacare

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Here are three little public service announcements about Obamacare:

  • Enrollment is ahead of last year. But after the first week, things will get tougher. If you know anyone who uses Obamacare, tell them to get going NOW NOW NOW. Most of them have only until December 15 to sign up, and that will arrive sooner than they think.
  • Shop around! THIS IS IMPORTANT. The premium hikes due to Donald Trump’s elimination of the CSR subsidy have a very different effect on different plans. You might be able to get a bronze plan for free. You might be able to get a gold plan cheaper than a silver plan. If you’re lazy and just renew your current plan, it could cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars.
  • If you don’t get a subsidy, DON’T SHOP ON THE OBAMACARE EXCHANGE. Premiums have gone up a lot thanks to the CSR business, but if you go to a broker you’ll probably find off-exchange plans that aren’t affected by it. This could save you a ton of money. And if you don’t get a subsidy, there’s really no point to enrolling in Obamacare anyway.

Oddly enough, most people who qualify for subsidies will probably be able to buy health insurance more cheaply this year. But only if they shop around. I know that’s a pain, but it’s more important than ever thanks to Trump’s sabotage, and it means starting your shopping early. Be sure to spread the word.

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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